High energy, high current neutral beam injector operation with single stage and two-stage multi-aperture extraction systems

Abstract

Neutral beam development for JET injections at FAR laboratory has led to the study of properties of a single stage (triode) and a two-stage (tetrode) multi-aperture extraction system at ion beam powers exceeding the megawatt level and up to 80 keV beam energy. The results of the experimental measurements and of a numerical study of the beam optical qualities and grid power loadings of these systems are presented. Grid power loading levels of less than 1% of the high-voltage drain power were measured in both the triode and the tetrode accelerators. This would allow long pulse operation (10 s with water-cooling) as required for JET. The beam divergence angle (α ≅ 0.7°) and the transmission characteristics were almostidentical. At the same energy, higher current densities, at optimum perveance, were obtained with the triode at a lower electric field stress on the high-voltage gap. The triode offers the additional advantage of being simpler from the mechanical and electrical points of view. Operation of the injection line with an electrostatic beam dump associated with a grounded source is also demonstrated for a 25 ion beam up to 60 keV.