Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T05:35:32.818Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Simulation of propagating a proton beam in a reactor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2009

K. Niu
Affiliation:
Teikyo Heisei University, Uruido, Ichihara, Chiba 290–01, Japan

Abstract

One of the difficulties of light ion beam fusion is to propagate the beam in the reactor cavity and to focus the beam on the target. The light ion beam has some local divergence angle because there are several causes for divergence at the diode. The ion beam propagates with a speed of one tenth of light speed. With this high speed, the leading edge of the ion beam cannot be charge-neutralized due to the delay of neutralization by the inertia of thermal electrons in the background plasma. The electrostatic force induced by this mechanism at the leading edge causes the beam divergence during propagation. To confine the beam in a small radius during propagation, the magnetic field must play a role. Here the electron beam is proposed to be launched simultaneously with the launch of a proton beam. If the electron beam has the excess current, the beam induces the magnetic field in the negative azimuthal direction, which confines the ion beam in a small radius by the electrostatic field, as well as the electron beam by the Lorentz force. The metal guide around the beam path helps the beam confinement and reduces the total amount of magnetic field energy induced by the electron current. Simulation shows that the proton beam with the comoving electron beam propagates in a small radius confined in the metal guide.

Type
Regular Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Aoki, T. & Niu, K. 1988 Laser Part. Beams 6, 737.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, D.L. 1993 InInternational Symposium on Heavy Ion Inertial Fusion (Frascati), p. 68.Google Scholar
Kraft, R. et al. 1986 Phys. Fluids 30, 245.Google Scholar
Mehlhorn, T.A. 1993 Laser Interact. Related Plasma Phenomena 10, 553.Google Scholar
Niu, K. 1993 Laser Part. Beams 11, 97.Google Scholar
Niu, K. 1994 Laser Part. Beams 12, 85.Google Scholar
Niu, K. et al. 1991 Laser Part. Beams 9, 149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olson, C.L. et al. 1994 In Proc. 10th Int. Conf. on High Power Particle Beams, Vol. I (San Diego, California) p. 104.Google Scholar
Ottinger, P.F. et al. 1992 In Proc. 10th Int. Conf. High-Power Part. Beams, Vol. I (San Diego, California), p. 104.Google Scholar
Ottinger, P.F. et al. 1982 NRL Memorandum Report 4989.Google Scholar
Peter, W. & Rostoker, N. 1982 Phys. Fluids 25, 730.Google Scholar
Quintenz, J.P. et al. 1992 In Proc. IAEA Tech. Committee Meeting Drivers for Inertial Confinement Fusion (Osaka), p. 67.Google Scholar
Robertso, S. 1983 Phys. Fluids 26, 1129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watrous, J.J. et al. 1991 J. Appl. Phys. 69, 639.Google Scholar
Wessel, F.J. et al. 1990 Phys. Fluid B 2, 1467.Google Scholar