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

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Review of Scientific Instruments; (USA)

OSTI ID:7160223

Pregenzer, A L ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (US)

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 {lt}1 {mu}m. At these fields, the source should have an intrinsic divergence of {lt}6 mrad and the effects of space charge from neighboring emitters should not inhibit emission significantly. Experimental measurements of wavelengths and cusp-formation-times for water and ethanol at electric fields near the critical field for instability have agreed well with theory.

• OSTI ID: 7160223
• Report Number(s): CONF-890703--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments; (USA) Journal Volume: 61:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
430301 -- Particle Accelerators-- Ion Sources
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
ALCOHOLS
ALKALI METALS
BEAMS
CONFINEMENT
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTROHYDRODYNAMICS
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
ETHANOL
FIELD EMISSION
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
HYDRODYNAMICS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
ION BEAMS
ION EMISSION
ION SOURCES
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
LITHIUM
MECHANICS
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
REVIEWS
TIME MEASUREMENT
WATER