Production of intense light ion beams on a multiterawatt generator

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.331692· OSTI ID:6791834

Maenchen, J W; Young, F C; Stringfield, R; Stephanakis, S J; Mosher, D; Goldstein, S A; Genuario, R D; Cooperstein, G

The operation of a pinch-reflex diode as an intense pulsed ion-beam source has been scaled up to the multiterawatt PITHON generator. Ion beams with currents of 1 MA at 1.8 MeV have been extracted in a 130 kJ, 100-ns pulse. The corresponding ion production efficiency is 60%. Power losses were observed in interfacing the coaxial diode to the biconic vacuum feed of the generator. By using smaller area diodes, the average current density at the anode source was increased to 20 kA/cm/sup 2/. Proton and deuteron beams were studied in both planar and spherical diode geometries. The ion beam is focused predominantly by self-magnetic fields for planar diodes and predominantly by electrode shaping for spherical diodes. Current densities exceeding 150 kA/cm/sup 2/ were achieved with spherical diodes. The spatial evolution of the anode and cathode plasmas was studied by laser holographic interferometry. As the peak of the power pulse is approached, plasmas were observed to expand from the electrodes in fairly uniform profiles with steep density gradients and to accelerate across the vacuum gap. After peak power, anode plasma fluctuations and a high-velocity (30 cm/..mu..s) axial plume develop; the latter expands radially coincident with collapse of the power pulse.

• Research Organization: Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375
• OSTI ID: 6791834
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 54:1; ISSN JAPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640301* -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Beams & their Reactions
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BEAM CURRENTS
BEAMS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CONFIGURATION
CURRENT DENSITY
CURRENTS
DEUTERON BEAMS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY RANGE
HOLOGRAPHY
INTERFEROMETRY
ION BEAMS
ION SOURCES
IONS
LIGHT IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MEGA AMP BEAM CURRENTS
MEV RANGE
NUCLEON BEAMS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PINCH EFFECT
PLASMA
PROTON BEAMS
PULSES
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION