Controlling Charge and Current Neutralization of an Ion Beam Pulse in a Background Plasma by Application of a Small Solenoidal Magnetic Field
Abstract
Propagation of an intense charged particle beam pulse through a background plasma is a common problem in astrophysics and plasma applications. The plasma can effectively neutralize the charge and current of the beam pulse, and thus provides a convenient medium for beam transport. The application of a small solenoidal magnetic field can drastically change the self-magnetic and self-electric fields of the beam pulse, thus allowing effective control of the beam transport through the background plasma. An analytical model is developed to describe the self-magnetic field of a finite-length ion beam pulse propagating in a cold background plasma in a solenoidal magnetic field. The analytical studies show that the solenoidal magnetic field starts to influence the self-electric and self-magnetic fields when ωce ≥ ωpeβb, where ωce = eΒ/mec is the electron gyrofrequency, ωpe is the electron plasma frequency, and βb = Vb/c is the ion beam velocity relative to the speed of light. This condition typically holds for relatively small magnetic fields (about 100G). Analytical formulas are derived for the effective radial force acting on the beam ions, which can be used to minimize beam pinching. The results of analytical theory have been verified by comparison with the simulation results obtainedmore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 961895
- Report Number(s):
- PPPL-4258
TRN: US0903235
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-ACO2-76CHO3073
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ASTROPHYSICS; BEAM TRANSPORT; CHARGED PARTICLES; ELECTRONS; GYROFREQUENCY; ION BEAMS; LANGMUIR FREQUENCY; MAGNETIC FIELDS; PLASMA; SIMULATION; VELOCITY; Beams, Heavy Ion; Beam Fusion; Loss Cone Instability
Citation Formats
Kaganovich, I. D., Startsev, E. A., Sefkow, A. B., and Davidson, R. C. Controlling Charge and Current Neutralization of an Ion Beam Pulse in a Background Plasma by Application of a Small Solenoidal Magnetic Field. United States: N. p., 2007.
Web. doi:10.2172/961895.
Kaganovich, I. D., Startsev, E. A., Sefkow, A. B., & Davidson, R. C. Controlling Charge and Current Neutralization of an Ion Beam Pulse in a Background Plasma by Application of a Small Solenoidal Magnetic Field. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/961895
Kaganovich, I. D., Startsev, E. A., Sefkow, A. B., and Davidson, R. C. Wed .
"Controlling Charge and Current Neutralization of an Ion Beam Pulse in a Background Plasma by Application of a Small Solenoidal Magnetic Field". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/961895. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/961895.
@article{osti_961895,
title = {Controlling Charge and Current Neutralization of an Ion Beam Pulse in a Background Plasma by Application of a Small Solenoidal Magnetic Field},
author = {Kaganovich, I. D. and Startsev, E. A. and Sefkow, A. B. and Davidson, R. C.},
abstractNote = {Propagation of an intense charged particle beam pulse through a background plasma is a common problem in astrophysics and plasma applications. The plasma can effectively neutralize the charge and current of the beam pulse, and thus provides a convenient medium for beam transport. The application of a small solenoidal magnetic field can drastically change the self-magnetic and self-electric fields of the beam pulse, thus allowing effective control of the beam transport through the background plasma. An analytical model is developed to describe the self-magnetic field of a finite-length ion beam pulse propagating in a cold background plasma in a solenoidal magnetic field. The analytical studies show that the solenoidal magnetic field starts to influence the self-electric and self-magnetic fields when ωce ≥ ωpeβb, where ωce = eΒ/mec is the electron gyrofrequency, ωpe is the electron plasma frequency, and βb = Vb/c is the ion beam velocity relative to the speed of light. This condition typically holds for relatively small magnetic fields (about 100G). Analytical formulas are derived for the effective radial force acting on the beam ions, which can be used to minimize beam pinching. The results of analytical theory have been verified by comparison with the simulation results obtained from two particle-in-cell codes, which show good agreement.},
doi = {10.2172/961895},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/961895},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2007},
month = {8}
}