L. Prost

Overview of US heavy ion fusion research

Significant experimental and theoretical progress has been made in the U.S. heavy ion fusion program on high-current sources, injectors, transport, final focusing, chambers and targets for high energy density physics (HEDP) and inertial fusion energy (IFE) driven by induction linac accelerators. One focus of present research is the beam physics associated with quadrupole focusing of intense, space-charge dominated heavy-ion beams, including gas and electron cloud effects at high currents, and the study of long-distance-propagation effects such as emittance growth due to field errors in scaled experiments. A second area of emphasis in present research is the introduction of background plasma to neutralize the space charge of intense heavy ion beams and assist in focusing the beams to a small spot size. In the near future, research will continue in the above areas, and a new area of emphasis will be to explore the physics of neutralized beam compression and focusing to high intensities required to heat targets to high energy density conditions as well as for inertial fusion energy.

A 1.8-MeV K + injector for the high current beam transport experiment

For the High Current Beam Transport Experiment (HCX) at LBNL, an injector is required to deliver up to 1.8 MV of 0.6 A K{sup +} beam with an emittance of {approx}1 p-mm-mrad. We have successfully operated a 10-cm diameter surface ionization source together with an electrostatic quadrupole (ESQ) accelerator to meet these requirements. The pulse length is {approx}4 {micro}s, firing at once every 10-15 seconds. By optimizing the extraction diode and the ESQ voltages, we have obtained an output beam with good current density uniformity, except for a small increase near the beam edge. Characterization of the beam emerging from the injector included measurements of the intensity profile, beam imaging, and transverse phase space. These data along with comparison to computer simulations provide the knowledge base for designing and understanding future HCX experiments.

The high current experiment: First results

The High Current Experiment (HCX) is being assembled at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as part of the US program to explore heavy-ion beam transport at a scale representative of the low-energy end of an induction linac driver for fusion energy production. The primary mission of this experiment is to investigate aperture fill factors acceptable for the transport of space-charge dominated heavy-ion beams at high spacecharge intensity (line-charge density {approx} 0.2 {micro}C/m) over long pulse durations (>4 {micro}s). This machine will test transport issues at a driver-relevant scale resulting from nonlinear space-charge effects and collective modes, beam centroid alignment and beam steering, matching, image charges, halo, lost-particle induced electron effects, and longitudinal bunch control. We present the first experimental results carried out with the coasting K{sup +} ion beam transported through the first 10 electrostatic transport quadrupoles and associated diagnostics. Later phases of the experiment will include more electrostatic lattice periods to allow more sensitive tests of emittance growth, and also magnetic quadrupoles to explore similar issues in magnetic channels with a full driver scale beam.

2-MV Injector for HCX

We report on development of the Heavy-Ion Injector at LBNL, which is being prepared for use as an injector for the High Current Experiment (HCX). It is composed of a 10-cm-diameter surface ionization source, an extraction diode, and an electrostatic quadrupole (ESQ) accelerator, with a maximum current of 0.8 A of potassium ions at 2 MeV, and a beam pulse length of 3 /spl mu/s. We have improved the Injector equipment and diagnostics, and have characterized the source emission and radial beam profiles at the diode and ESQ regions. We find improved agreement with EGUN predictions, and improved compatibility with the downstream matching section.

Imaging of heavy-ion beams on kapton film

Kapton film is used to image K+ ion beams in the 0.4 to 2 MeV energy range. Dose response is shown to be linear and to follow a simple model for a range of exposures. The measured profiles agree with profiles obtained with a slit scanner. Kapton has excellent spatial resolution, dynamic range, and discrimination against stray low energy and low mass particles.

Experimental studies of electron effects in heavy-ion beams

LBNL-54716 HIFAN 1303 Experimental study of electron effects in heavy-ion beams •A.W. MOLVIK a , •With F.M. BIENIOSEK b , D. Baca b , R.H. COHEN a , A. FRIEDMAN a , M.A. FURMAN b , b. LBNL E.P. LEE b , S.M. LUND a , L. PROST b , P.A. SEIDL b , J-L. VAY b . a. LLNL •Heavy-Ion Fusion Virtual National Laboratory HIF-VNL Presented to International workshop in physics of high energy density in matter, session on gas/electron cloud effects in high-ion-current accelerators Waldemar-Petersen-Haus, Hirschegg, Austria Feb. 2-7, 2003 AWM 1 The Heavy Ion Fusion Virtual National Laboratory

Electron cloud effects in intense, ion beam linacs theory and experimental planning for heavy-ion fusion

Heavy-ion accelerators for HIF will operate at high aperture-fill factors with high beam current and long pulses. This will lead to beam ions impacting walls: liberating gas molecules and secondary electrons. Without special preparation a large fractional electron population ({approx}>1%) is predicted in the High-Current Experiment (HCX), but wall conditioning and other mitigation techniques should result in substantial reduction. Theory and particle-in-cell simulations suggest that electrons, from ionization of residual and desorbed gas and secondary electrons from vacuum walls, will be radially trapped in the {approx}4 kV ion beam potential. Trapped electrons can modify the beam space charge, vacuum pressure, ion transport dynamics, and halo generation, and can potentially cause ion-electron instabilities. Within quadrupole (and dipole) magnets, the longitudinal electron flow is limited to drift velocities (E x B and {del}B) and the electron density can vary azimuthally, radially, and longitudinally. These variations can cause centroid misalignment, emittance growth and halo growth. Diagnostics are being developed to measure the energy and flux of electrons and gas evolved from walls, and the net charge and gas density within magnetic quadrupoles, as well as the their effect on the ion beam.