Pierce instability in neutralized inertial confinement fusion ion beams

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.331275· OSTI ID:5153098

Lemons, D S; Cary, J R

The stability of a charge and current neutralized electron-ion beam propagating between two planar boundaries is investigated. For equipotential boundaries the beam is, as originally shown by Pierce, electrostatically unstable for electron current densities above a certain limiting value. If, however, the electric field at the upstream boundary is required to vanish, there is no instability. An intermediate case, in which the two boundaries are electrically connected with a finite conductivity plasma, corresponds to the proposed use of neutralized light and heavy ion beams for inertial confinement fusion drivers. Results indicate such beams can propagate either stably or with zero-frequency Pierce instability growth rates which are probably insignificant. lectric currents; boundary conditions; current density; electric fields; plasma;

• Research Organization: Intense Charged Particle Beam Theory Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5153098
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 53:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
ION BEAMS
BEAM NEUTRALIZATION
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
CURRENT DENSITY
ELECTRIC CHARGES
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLASMA
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
BEAMS
CONFINEMENT
CURRENTS
INSTABILITY
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
700208* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Inertial Confinement Technology