The results of the three-dimensional (3D) self-consistent simulations of a 14 GHz minimum-B electron cyclotron resonance ion source plasma obtained upon 1.8×104 microwave periods by the particle-in-cell code are reported. The initial density of plasma contained in a chamber of 24 cm length and 6.3 cm in diameter is 0.6×1012 cm−3. We have used the explicit Boris-leap-frog scheme on the three-dimensional computer grid of 32×32×64 size. The results of the relativistic simulations show that the confined plasma has a complex spatial structure with a zone of periodic bounce oscillations as well as areas where banana trajectories are observed. The obtained electron energy distribution function makes it evident that in the electron cyclotron resonance minimum-B plasma there coexist three separable electron groups: a group of cold electrons with the energy up to 80 eV, a group of hot electrons whose energy extends to 80 keV, and a group of superhot electrons accelerated up to hundreds of kilo-electron volts. The space distributions of plasma ions have been found.

It is common knowledge that the electrostatic pit in a core plasma of electron cyclotron resonance sources exerts strict control over generation of ions in high charge states. This work is aimed at finding a dependence of the lifetime of ions on their charge states in the core region and to elaborate a numerical model of ion charge dispersion not only for the core plasmas but for extracted beams as well. The calculated data are in good agreement with the experimental results on charge distributions and magnitudes for currents of beams extracted from the 14 GHz DECRIS source.

Experimental results concerning synchrotron radiation, particle losses and effects of initial plasma temperature on the relativistic plasma formation are given. The life time of a relativistic plasma in a simple mirror device coincides with the time of turbulent diffusion.

Plasma of a 14 GHz minimum-B source which is based on the electron cyclotron resonance phenomenon, has been studied through a three-dimensional simulation code using a particle in cell technique. In the code, the fast Larmor rotations are calculated with a time step equal to 1/250 of the microwave field period. The space geometry of the electron and ion components as well as the ion spectra both in the core plasma and in the charged particle fluxes which reach the end walls, are determined. The low frequency oscillations of the electron component and the ion plasma component are discussed.

A review of experimental research performed on installations of GYRAC-type based on the synchrotron gyromagnetic autoresonance (SGA) phenomenon is presented. It is shown that the SGA-regime can be used to obtain relativistic plasma as well as a controlled bunch of relativistic electrons. GYRAC-produced plasma is of interest for applied plasma physics as a source of particles and different kinds of radiation (synchrotron radiation and bremsstrahlung).