Transport of intense light ion beams

Theoretical and experimental research concerning two techniques for transporting intense light ion beams is described. The first technique uses the magnetic field associated with a wall-stabilized z-discharge to radially confine and guide the beam, and the second technique uses the magnetic field from a central current-carrying wire. The ion beam for the experiments is generated and weakly focused onto the aperture of the transport system using a pinch-reflex ion diode on the Naval Research Laboratory Gamble II generator. Typically 1.2-MeV, 100-kA proton beams are transported within radii as small as 1 cm. High-efficiency transport of beams has been demonstrated for both techniques over distances of a few metes. Beam charge and current neutralization were also confirmed. Nuclear diagnostics and shadowboxes were used to measure beam transport efficiency and phase space information for comparison with theoretical predictions. Particle transport efficiencies as high as 100% for the z-discharge technique and 80% for the wire-guided technique were observed.< >