Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T05:42:43.996Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Plasma source development for the NDCX-I and NDCX-II neutralized drift compression experiments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 June 2012

E.P. Gilson ,
R.C. Davidson ,
P.C. Efthimion ,
J.Z. Gleizer ,
I.D. Kaganovich  and
Ya.E. Krasik
E.P. Gilson*
Affiliation:
Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
R.C. Davidson
Affiliation:
Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
P.C. Efthimion
Affiliation:
Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
J.Z. Gleizer
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Technion, Haifa, Israel
I.D. Kaganovich
Affiliation:
Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
Ya.E. Krasik
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Technion, Haifa, Israel
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: E.P. Gilson, Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Compressed ion beams are being studied as a driver for inertial confinement fusion energy and for the creation of matter in the high-energy-density regime. In order to facilitate compression of a positive ion charge bunch longitudinally and transversely beyond the limit determined by the space-charge field of the bunch, a source of charge-neutralizing electrons must be provided. Plasma sources have been developed for the NDCX-I and NDCX-II experimental facilities, both for the 2-m-long, field-free drift regions, and for the small-diameter interior of the multi-Tesla final focus solenoid. Barium titanate based cylinders with a high dielectric coefficient are used to line the wall of the 2-m-long drift region and by applying a 9 kV pulse between the inner and outer surfaces of the cylinders, plasma with a density in the 1010 cm−3 range is formed. Results are presented from experiments using this plasma source on NDCX-I. A compact plasma source 5.1 cm long and 3.8 cm in diameter, also made using the barium titanate based material, has been developed for use in the bore of the final focus solenoid. Plasma generated near the wall of the plasma source will follow the fringing magnetic field lines of the solenoid and help to fill the bore of the magnet with plasma. Improved designs for the barium titanate plasma sources are being considered that use different inner-surface electrode materials and structures, and also use a modified electrical driver employing a spark gap crowbar switch. In addition, plasma source designs using so-called flashboard technology have been developed. In the flashboard plasma source, high density plasma is formed when the applied high voltage pulse causes a series of breakdowns between isolated copper patches aligned in rows along the surface of the 0.2 mm thick flashboard.

Keywords

AcceleratorsHeavy ion fusionIon beamsPlasma sources
Type
Research Article
Information
Laser and Particle Beams , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , September 2012 , pp. 435 - 443
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anders, A., Kauffeldt, M., Roy, P. & Oks, E. (2011). Dense metal plasma in a solenoid for ion beam neutralization. IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 39, 1386–1393.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coleman, J.E. (2008). Intense Ion Beams for Warm Dense Matter Physics, Ph.D. Thesis. Berkeley: University of California.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunaevsky, A., Krasik, Ya.E., Felsteiner, J. & Sternlieb, A. (2001). Electron diode with a large area ferroelectric plasma cathode. J. Appl. Phys. 90, 3689–3698.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Efthimion, P.C., Gilson, E.P., Grisham, L., Davidson, R.C., Logan, B.G., Seidl, P.A., Waldron, W. (2009). Long plasma source for heavy ion beam charge neutralization. Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A 606, 124–127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Friedman, A., Barnard, J.J., Briggs, R.J., Davidson, R.C., Dorf, M., Grote, D.P., Henestroza, E., Lee, E.P., Leitner, M.A., Logan, B.G., Sefkow, A.B., Sharp, W.M., Waldron, W.L., Welch, D.R. & Yu, S.S. (2009). Towards a physics design for NDCX-II, an ion accelerator for warm-dense matter experiments. Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A 606, 6–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaganovich, I.D., Davidson, R.C., Dorf, M.A., Startsev, E.A., Sefkow, A.B., Friedman, A.F., Lee, E.P. (2010). Physics of neutralization of intense high-energy ion beam pulses by electrons. Phys. Plasmas 17, 023103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenman, G., Shur, D., Krasik, Ya.E. & Dunaevsky, A. (2000). Electron emission from ferroelectrics. J. Appl. Phys. 88, 6109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roy, P.K., Seidl, P.A., Anders, A., Bieniosek, F.M., Coleman, J.E., Gilson, E.P., Greenway, W., Grote, D.P., Jung, J.Y., Leitner, M., Lidia, S.M., Logan, B.G., Sefkow, A.B., Waldron, W.L. & Welch, D.R. (2009). A space-charge-neutralizing plasma for beam drift compression. Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A 606, 22–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sefkow, A.B., Davidson, R.C. & Gilson, E.P. (2008). Advanced plasma flow simulations of cathodic-arc and ferroelectric plasma sources for neutralized drift compression experiments. Phys. Rev. 11, 070101.Google Scholar
Seidl, P.A., Anders, A., Bieniosek, F.M., Barnard, J.J., Calanog, J., Chen, A.X., Cohen, R.H., Coleman, J.E., Dorf, M., Gilson, E.P., Grote, D.P., Jung, J.Y., Leitner, M., Lidia, S.M., Logan, B.G., Ni, P., Roy, P.K., Van Den Bogert, K., Waldron, W.L. & Welch, D.R. (2009). Progress in beam focusing and compression for warm-dense matter experiments. Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A 606, 75–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar