Compact steady-state and high-flux Falcon ion source for tests of plasma-facing materials

Abstract

This paper describes the design and operation of the Falcon ion source. It is based on conventional design of anode layer thrusters. This ion source is a versatile, compact, affordable, and highly functional in the research field of the fusion materials. The reversed magnetic field configuration of the source allows precise focusing of the ion beam into small spot of ≈3 mm and also provides the limited capabilities for impurity mass-separation. As the result, the source generates steady-state ion beam, which irradiates surface with high heat (0.3 - 21 MW m(-2)) and particle fluxes (4 × 10(21) - 3 × 10(23) m(-2)s(-1)), which approaches the upper limit for the flux range expected in ITER.

Operation modes of the FALCON ion source as a part of the AMS cluster tool

“…The layer is etched using the FALCON ion source [7], which is essentially an anode layer thruster with a focused ion beam [8]. It is based on the design of closed drift thrusters (also known as Hall thrusters), which are typically used for space propulsion due to their compactness, simplicity and very high effi ciency of converting inlet gas molecules and atoms into ions of the beam [9].…”

Novel test-bed facility for PSI issues in fusion reactor conditions on the base of next generation QSPA plasma accelerator

“…Various schemes of steady-state sources are under consideration now. In particular, as the prototype of steady-state source the Hall type plasma thruster, like described in [22,23], is under consideration. Such a source generates hydrogen plasma flows with rather high particle (10 22 m −2 s −1 ) and heat (1.7 MW m −2 ) fluxes allowed to reach a fluence of 10 26 m 2 and even higher [24].…”

Dynamics of the ion beam impurities in the systems with reversed magnetic beam focusing

“…Недавно изобретенный источник ионов с анодным слоем [3] благодаря баллистической и фокусировке реверсивным магнитным полем, позволяет получить потоки частиц и энергии на поверхность, необходимые для исследований взаимодействий плазмы с материалами первой стенки термоядерных установок.…”