Negative ion production in large volume source with small deposition of cesium

Abstract

Experimental data on the enhancement of D− (H−) negative ion production due to cesium injection into a large volume multiampere negative ion source (MANTIS) are described. The directed deposition of small cesium amounts (5–100 mg) from a compact, movable oven, placed into the central part of a MANTIS gas-discharge box was used. A calorimetrically measured D− beam with an intensity up to 1.6 A and an extracted current density up to 4.2 mA/cm2 (beam energy 25 kV) was obtained. Exactly 30 mg of cesium provides at least one month of source operation (1000 pulses with a discharge pulse duration of 4 s). The effect of cesium on NI enhancement was immediately displayed after the distributed Cs deposition, but it needed some ‘‘conditioning’’ of cesium by tens of discharge pulses (or by several hours ‘‘pause’’) in the case of a localized Cs deposition. No degradation of extraction-acceleration voltage holding on within the tested range of cesium injection was observed.