Drift compression of an intense neutralized ion beam

Phys Rev Lett. 2005 Dec 2;95(23):234801. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.234801. Epub 2005 Nov 29.

Abstract

Longitudinal compression of a velocity-tailored, intense neutralized beam at 300 keV, 25 mA has been demonstrated. The compression takes place in a 1-2 m drift section filled with plasma to provide space-charge neutralization. An induction cell produces a head-to-tail velocity ramp that longitudinally compresses the neutralized beam, enhancing the beam peak current by a factor of 50 and producing a pulse duration of about 3 ns. This measurement has been confirmed independently with two different diagnostic systems.