Pulselac program: Space charge neutralized ion beams for inertial fusion applications

Abstract

Recent advances in the understanding of the space charge neutralization of ion beams raise the possibility of producing high power pulsed beams for inertial fusion applications. In the Pulselac Program at Sandia National Laboratories, theoretical and experimental studies have been carried out on the neutralization process. An inductive linear accelerator, Pulselac C, is under construction. It is designed to produce 5 kA beams in 50 ns pulses of ions in the mass range from N + to Ar + . The accelerator will be built in stages, with an ultimate output energy of 4 MeV.