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Title: Comparison of experimental data and 3D simulations of ion beam neutralization from the neutralized transport experiment

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
OSTI ID:838982

The Neutralized Transport Experiment (NTX) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been designed to study the final focus and neutralization of high perveance ion beams for applications in heavy ion fusion (HIF) and high energy density physics (HEDP) experiments. Pre-formed plasmas in the last meter before the target of the scaled experiment provide a source of electrons which neutralize the ion current and prevent the space-charge induced spreading of the beam spot. NTX physics issues are discussed and experimental data is analyzed and compared with 3D particle-in-cell simulations. Along with detailed target images, 4D phase-space data of the NTX at the entrance of the neutralization region has been acquired. This data is used to provide a more accurate beam distribution with which to initialize the simulation. Previous treatments have used various idealized beam distributions which lack the detailed features of the experimental ion beam images. Simulation results are compared with NTX experimental measurements for 250 keV K{sup +} ion beams with dimensionless perveance of 1-7 x 10{sup -4}. In both simulation and experiment, the deduced beam charge neutralization is close to the predicted maximum value.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Director. Office of Science. Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (US)
DOE Contract Number:
AC03-76SF00098
OSTI ID:
838982
Report Number(s):
LBNL-56401; HIFAN 1371; R&D Project: Z41001; TRN: US200508%%541
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 12; Other Information: Submitted to Physics of Plasmas: Volume 12; Journal Publication Date: 03/14/2005; PBD: 22 Sep 2004
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English