High ion charge states in a high-current, short-pulse, vacuum arc ion source

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1146731· OSTI ID:279535

Anders, A; Brown, I; MacGill, R; Dickinson, M ^[1]

---

1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

Ions of the cathode material are formed at vacuum arc cathode spots and extracted by a grid system. The ion charge states (typically 1{endash}4) depend on the cathode material and only a little on the discharge current as long as the current is low. Here we report on experiments with short pulses (several {mu}s) and high currents (several kA); this regime of operation is thus approaching a more vacuum sparklike regime. Mean ion charge states of up to 6.2 for tungsten and 3.7 for titanium have been measured, with the corresponding maximum charge states of up to 8+ and 6+, respectively. The results are discussed in terms of Saha calculations and freezing of the charge state distribution. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 279535
• Report Number(s): CONF-9509125--
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 67; ISSN RSINAK; ISSN 0034-6748
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BEAM EXTRACTION
CATHODES
CHARGE STATES
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ION SOURCES
KILO AMP BEAM CURRENTS
MICRO-S RANGE
MULTICHARGED IONS
SAHA EQUATION
TITANIUM IONS
TUNGSTEN IONS
VACUUM SYSTEMS