We describe the current status of ongoing research and development of the electrostatic plasma lens for focusing and manipulating intense negatively charged particle beams, electrons, and negative ions. The physical principle of this kind of plasma lens is based on magnetic isolation electrons providing creation of a dynamical positive space charge cloud in shortly restricted volume propagating beam. Here, the new results of experimental investigations and computer simulations of wide-aperture, intense electron beam focusing by plasma lens with positive space charge cloud produced due to the cylindrical anode layer accelerator creating a positive ion stream towards an axis system is presented.
We present the original approach to use plasma accelerators with closed electron drift (Hall-type ion sources), which, unlike traditional accelerators with metal and dielectric walls, have open walls and can be applied for creation cost effective low maintenance plasma devices based on plasma lens configuration for production of converging towards axis accelerated ion beams. The paper describes pilot sample of Hall-type plasma accelerator, the first experimental results, one-dimensional theoretical model, and exact analytical solutions following from it.
Based on the idea of a space-charge-limited mode of operation, the influence of a pair of electrostatic meshes on the beam parameters of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory MEVVA-5 ion source was investigated. The meshes were placed in the expansion zone of the vacuum arc plasma. Apart from reducing the level of beam current fluctuations, this mode of operation provides significant control over the ion charge state distribution of the extracted beam. These effects can be understood taking not only space charge but also the high-directed ion drift velocities, which are the same for different ion charge states of a material, into account. The results of simulations of the processes involved are in good agreement with the experimental results.
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