Electrohydrodynamically driven, large-area liquid metal ion source for inertial confinement fusion

Conference · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1141920· OSTI ID:6006491

Pregenzer, A. L.

Analysis of the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) equations of motion of a planar liquid-lithium surface in the presence of a normal electric field suggest that liquid lithium may provide a large-area ion source for intense ion-beam diodes. Such sources are being developed for the Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator II at Sandia National Laboratories. In this paper, theoretical and experimental studies of the planar EHD ion source will be reviewed. When a planar liquid surface is subjected to an electric field of sufficient magnitude, EHD instabilities produce an array of cusps on the surface. The electric field enhancement at the apex of each cusp is sufficient to permit field evaporation of ions. The time delay between application of the electric field and ion emission depends on the magnitude and rate of increase of the applied electric field, and on the initial amplitude of the surface perturbation. Above 10 MV/cm, theory indicates that field emission will occur on a nanosecond time scale and that the characteristic spacing of emitters will be less than one micrometer. At these fields, the source should have an intrinsic divergence of less than 6 mrad and the effects of space charge from neighboring emitters should not inhibit emission significantly. Experimental measurements of wavelength and cusp-formation-times for water and ethanol at electric fields near the critical field for instability have agreed well with theory. 11 refs., 4 figs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6006491
• Report Number(s): SAND-89-1390C; CONF-890703-2; ON: DE89012665
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700208* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Inertial Confinement Technology
ACCELERATORS
CHARGED PARTICLES
DESIGN
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTROHYDRODYNAMICS
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
ION SOURCES
IONS
LITHIUM IONS
MECHANICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PARTICLE BEAM FUSION ACCELERATOR
PLASMA INSTABILITY
SPACE CHARGE