Generation of strong time compressed light ion beams

Positive light ions (He4) are extracted from a pulsed plasma source and accelerated in two states, first at constant potential and subsequently by a time varying voltage which is programmed to generate a time compressed beam bunch, downstream at a defined distance form the accelerator. Time compression of a 1-μs extracted beam pulse into an 8-ns bunched pulse at a distance of 66 cm from the source has been achieved. The technique provides useful applications for concentrated energy deposition on targets and is part of a proposed Light Ion Fusion Experiment (LIFE) accelerator system where 20:1 axial pulse compression would be programmed to occur during the ballistically focused and neutralized transport of intense ion beams.