Intense, pulsed, ion-diode sources and their application to mirror machines

Conference · Wed Nov 12 04:00:00 EST 1975

OSTI ID:7364047

Prono, D S; Shearer, J W; Briggs, R J

Startup conditions for future mirror fusion experiments require a rapidly formed target plasma of approximately 0.5 coulomb of ions with energy of 50 to 100 keV. Theory suggests that very intense ion-flux emission satisfying these requirements can be extracted from a pulsed ion diode. Developing such sources would be an ideal CTR application of the high-power, single-shot capability of pulsed power technology. Recent experimental results are reviewed in which approximately 2 kA/cm/sup 2/ of D/sup +/ at approximately 50 keV was extracted. In the experiment, an intense relativistic electron beam undergoes many transits through a solid but range-thin anode foil. With each transit the electrons lose energy, causing their trajectories to collapse toward the anode surface. In so doing, the increased space charge extracts an intense ion flux from the anode foil's plasma. Observations are reported on the importance of diode stability. The general agreement between theoretical scaling laws and experimental results are also presented.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 7364047
• Report Number(s): UCRL-77156; CONF-751108-22
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
ANODES
BEAMS
CHARGED PARTICLES
DESIGN
DEUTERONS
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON BEAMS
ION SOURCES
LEPTON BEAMS
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PARTICLE BEAMS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES