Ion Beam Emission Research Articles

Correlation of current drop, filling gas pressure, and ion beam emission in a low energy Mather-type plasma focus device

The behavior of current drop and its correlation with ion beam emission during the radial phase of a high inductance low energy Mather type plasma focus device have been studied. The study includes two ranges of filling gas pressure, namely the low range of 0.2–0.8 mbar and the high range of 0.8–1.5 mbar. Two different current simulation processes were performed to aid the interpretation of the experimental results. Within the low range of operating pressure, an acceptable match between the computed and experimental current signals was achieved when the effects of anomalous resistances were contemplated. While in the high range of pressure, the computed and experimental current traces were in line even without considering the effects of anomalous resistances. The analysis shows that by decreasing the filling gas pressure the effects of instabilities are intensified. The computed and experimental current traces, along with ion beam signals gathered from a faraday cup, show that there is a strong correlation between the intensity of ion beam and its duration with the current drop during the radial phase.

Electron–Ion Coupling in Mesothermal Plasma Beam Emission: Full Particle PIC Simulations

Full particle particle-in-cell simulations are performed to study the collisionless electron-ion coupling during ion beam emission and neutralization. Simulations show that ion beam neutralization and propagation are two closely coupled processes. Electron-ion coupling is achieved through interactions between the trapped electrons and a potential well established by the propagation of the ion beam front along the beam direction and not through plasma instabilities as previous studies suggested. In the transverse direction, the beam emission generates an expansion fan similar to that of the expansion of a mesothermal plasma into vacuum. The expansion process determines the beam potential with respect to the ambient. This suggests that a plasma beam in a vacuum chamber and a plasma beam in space may have similar charge density profiles but different beam potentials with respect to the ambient due to the limit imposed by the boundary on plasma expansion.

Effects of electrode geometry on the ion beam extraction of closed drift type anode layer linear ion source

Closed drift type anode layer linear ion source was investigated with focusing on the electrode geometry effects on ion beam emission and anode layer formation. In the electrode geometry, the discharge gap between anode and cathode plays an important role to control anode layer formation as well as electron generation. When the discharge gap is increased from 2 to 3 mm, the ion current density was enhanced from 0.9 to 1.35 mA∕cm(2). Computational simulation by using an object oriented particle in cell showed that the discharge volume was extended due to enhanced electron generation and the electric field at the anode layer was enhanced from 1.32 to 1.52 MV∕cm.

Anomalous resistivity effect on multiple ion beam emission and hard x-ray generation in a Mather type plasma focus device

Multi ion beam and hard x-ray emissions were detected in a high inductance (more than 100 nH) Mather type plasma focus (PF) device at different filling gas pressures and charging voltages. The signal analysis was performed through the current trace, as it is the fundamental signal from which all of the phenomena in a PF device can be extracted. Two different fitting processes were carried out according to Lee’s computational (snow-plow) model. In the first process, only plasma dynamics and classical (Spitzer) resistances were considered as energy consumer parameters for plasma. This led to an unsuccessful fitting and did not answer the energy transfer mechanism into plasma. A second fitting process was considered through the addition of anomalous resistance, which provided the best fit. Anomalous resistance was the source of long decrease in current trace, and multi dips and multi peaks of high voltage probe. Multi-peak features were interpreted considering the second fitting process along with the mechanisms for ion beam production and hard x-ray emission. To show the important role of the anomalous resistance, the duration of the current drop was discussed.

Focussed ion beam and field emission gun–scanning electron microscopy for the investigation of voiding and interface phenomena in thin‐film solar cells

ABSTRACTThe use of focussed ion beam milling combined with high resolution scanning electron microscopy analysis as a characterisation tool for thin‐film photovoltaics is reported. CdTe solar cell cross sections are examined in high detail with as‐grown and CdCl2‐treated devices being compared. Observed changes in microstructure of the thin‐film layers are related to the device performance. The CdCl2 treatment is shown to cause a reduction in the CdTe defect density at regions close to the interface and induce recrystallization of the CdS layer. Furthermore, the focussed ion beam technique is shown to reveal voids formed within the device's thin‐film layers at various processing stages that have not been previously observed in working cell structures. The back‐contacting Te‐rich layer resulting from nitric–phosphoric acid etching is also observed, with the etched layer being seen to propagate down the CdTe grain boundaries. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Temporal and spatial study of neon ion emission from a plasma focus device

The temporal and spatial characteristics of the neon ion beam emissions from a low energy plasma focus device have been studied by employing a multiple Faraday cup assembly and the CR-39 track detectors at different angular and axial positions. In addition, the operating gas pressures were also varied to study the temporal and spatial characteristics of the neon ion beam emissions. The Faraday cup analyses show that the ion flux strongly depends on the operating gas pressure as well as the angular positions. The estimated ion energy measurements at the aperture of the Faraday cup indicate that the plasma focus device is a source of polyenergetic ions ranging from approximately a few keV to a few hundreds of keV, irrespective of the angular positions. The exposed CR-39 detectors have shown the formation of multiple ion tracks with diameter ranging from 2 to 13 μm. The populations of lower diameter tracks (2–6 μm) are observed to be more at 0° and 10° angles. It is also noticed that the most populated track counts have shifted toward the higher diameter as the angular positions change from 0° to 70°. The present study enables us to predict a clear picture of ion flux and energy distribution inside the plasma focus chamber that will help to use the device for material irradiation application in a more controlled manner.

Angular Distribution of Argon Ions and X-Ray Emissions in the Apf Plasma Focus Device

Angular distribution of ion beam emission from an argon gas-filled plasma focus devices has been investigated using an array of five Faraday cups. The argon ion beam emission is found to be highly pressure-dependent and reaches its maximum at the pressure of 1 torr. The ions flux decreased as the working pressure increased; the maximum ion density at 1 torr was estimated to be around 9.24 × 1024 ions/steradian. Also, the study on the angular distribution of X-rays has been carried out using TLD-100 dosimeters. The intensity of ions reduced significantly at angles higher than ±11° but the X-ray distribution was bimodal, peaked approximately at ±15°.

Ion Beam Emission within a Low Energy Focus Plasma (0.1 kJ) Operating with Hydrogen

An investigation of energetic ion beam emission from a low energy plasma focus (0.1 kJ Mather type) device operating with hydrogen gas is studied. The ion beam emission is investigated using time-integrated and time-resolved detectors. The present plasma focus device is powered by a capacitor bank of 1 μF at 18 kV maximum charging voltage. The correlation of ion beam intensity with filling gas pressure indicates that the beam emission is maximized at the optimum pressure for the focus formation at peak current. Energy of ions is determined with a time-of-flight (TOF) method, taking into account distance from the center electrode to the detection plane.

Ion Beam Emission in a Low Energy Plasma Focus Device

The characteristics of the Ar ion beam generated in a low energy plasma focus device were investigated. A Mather-type PF device filled with argon gas driven by an 11 μF single capacitor bank was used. A Faraday cup, operating in the bias ion collector mode, is used to estimate the energy spectrum and ion flux along the PF axis. The results of the experiments show the dependence of the energy spectrum on the gas pressure and the anode shape.

Characterization of the neon ion beam emitted from plasma focus device

Ion beam emission from a neon gas filled plasma focus device has been studied by using a fast response Faraday cup. The neon ion beam emission is found to be highly pressure dependant and it is maximum at a pressure of 0.3 Torr. The beam energy is found to be poly energetic ranging from 18 to 1000 keV with higher ion population below 180 keV at optimum operating pressure of 0.3 Torr. The maximum ion density at 0.3 Torr is estimated to be around 5 × 10 19 /m3. The neon ion beam with this characteristic of energy and density seems to be effective for testing material of interest in tokamak research.

Investigations of the emittance and brightness of ion beams from an electron beam ion source of the Dresden EBIS type

We have characterized ion beams extracted from the Dresden EBIS-A, a compact room-temperature electron beam ion source (EBIS) with a permanent magnet system for electron beam compression, using a pepper-pot emittance meter. The EBIS-A is the precursor to the Dresden EBIS-SC in which the permanent magnets have been replaced by superconducting solenoids for the use of the source in high-ion-current applications such as heavy-ion cancer therapy. Beam emittance and brightness values were calculated from data sets acquired for a variety of source parameters, in leaky as well as pulsed ion extraction mode. With box shaped pulses of C(4+) ions at an energy of 39 keV root mean square emittances of 1-4 mm mrad and a brightness of 10 nA mm(-2) mrad(-2) were achieved. The results meet the expectations for high quality ion beams generated by an electron beam ion source.

Measurements of transverse ion beam emittance generated by high current ion sources at the GSI test injector facility HOSTI

The first emittance measurements with a new test injector facility (HOSTI) at GSI, designed for optimization of high current beam injection scheme, are discussed. The emittance of the ion beam (88 kV, Ar(1+) ions) was investigated as a function of various parameters related to the ion source, extraction, and postacceleration systems and the optimum parameters for future low energy beam transport line are concluded. The preliminary results of the emittance measurements with superconducting solenoid are presented. The influence of the focusing strength as well as the longitudinal field shape of the solenoid on the beam emittance is described.

Studies on Ion Emission from the Plasma Focus Device by Using Ion Collector and Track Detector

Ion beam emission from a neon gas filled plasma focus device has been studied by using ion collector and solid state nuclear track detector. The neon ion beam emission is found to be highly pressure dependant and it is maximum at a pressure of 0.3 Torr. The maximum ion energy at 0.3 Torr is estimated to be 1 MeV. Preliminary results on solid state nuclear track detector indicate the formation of tracks in CR-39 due to exposure of neon ions. The average rim diameter of tracks is measured to be 4.35 μm and the number of track is of the order of 1010 track/m2.

Emittance characterization of a hot-cavity laser ion source at Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility

The first investigation of the transverse emittance of a hot-cavity laser ion source based on all-solid-state Ti:sapphire lasers is presented. The emittances of (63)Cu ion beams generated by three-photon resonant ionization are measured and compared with that of the (69)Ga and (39)K ion beams resulting from surface ionization in the same ion source. A self-consistent unbiased elliptical exclusion method is adapted for noise reduction and emittance analysis. Typical values of the rms and 90% fractional emittances of the Cu ion beams at 20 keV energy are found to be about 2 and 8 pi mm mrad, respectively, for the ion currents of 2-40 nA investigated. The emittances of the laser-produced Cu ion beams are smaller than those of the surface-ionized Ga and K ion beams.

An ion cooler-buncher for high-sensitivity collinear laser spectroscopy at ISOLDE

A gas-filled segmented linear Paul trap has been installed at the focal plane of the high-resolution separator (HRS) at CERN-ISOLDE. As well as providing beams with a reduced transverse emittance, this device is also able to accumulate the ions and release the sample in bunches with a well-defined time structure. This has recently permitted collinear laser spectroscopy with stable and radioactive bunched beams to be demonstrated at ISOLDE. Surface-ionized 39, 44, 46K and 85Rb beams were accelerated to 30keV, mass separated and injected into the trap for subsequent extraction and delivery to the laser setup. The ions were neutralized in a charge exchange cell and excited with a co-propagating laser. The small ion beam emittance allowed focussing in the ion-laser overlap region, which is essential to achieve the best experimental sensitivity. Fluorescent photons were detected by a photomultiplier tube as a frequency scan was taken. A gate (typically 7-12μs wide) was set on the photomultiplier signal to accept the fluorescent photons within the time window defined by the bunch. Thus, using accumulation times of 100ms, the dominant contribution to background due to continuous laser scattering could be reduced by a factor of up to 4×104 .

Development of a pepper pot emittance probe and its application for ECR ion beam studies

A pepper pot–scintillator screen system has been developed and used to measure the emittance of DC ion beams extracted from a high-intensity permanent magnet ECR ion source. The system includes a fast beam shutter with a minimum dwell time of 18ms to reduce the degradation of the CsI(Tl) scintillator by DC ion beam irradiation and a CCD camera with a variable shutter speed in the range of 1μs–65s. On-line emittance measurements are performed by an application code developed on a LabVIEW platform. The sensitivity of the device is sufficient to measure the emittance of DC ion beams with current densities down to about 100nA/cm2. The emittance of all ion species extracted from the ECR ion source and post-accelerated to an energy of 75–90keV/charge have been measured downstream of the LEBT. As the mass-to-charge ratio of ion species increases, the normalized RMS emittances in both transverse phase planes decrease from 0.5–1.0πmmmrad for light ions to 0.05–0.09πmmmrad for highly charged 209Bi ions. The dependence of the emittance on ion's mass-to-charge ratio follows very well the dependence expected from beam rotation induced by decreasing ECR axial magnetic field. The measured emittance values cannot be explained by only ion beam rotation for all ion species and the contribution to emittance of ion temperature in plasma, non-linear electric fields and non-linear space charge is comparable or even higher than the contribution of ion beam rotation.

Simulation of the plasma meniscus with and without space charge using triode extraction system

In this work, simulation of the singly charged argon ion trajectories for a variable plasma meniscus is studied with and without space charge for the triode extraction system by using SIMION 3D (Simulation of Ion Optics in Three Dimensions) version 7 personal computer program. The influence of acceleration voltage applied to the acceleration electrode of the triode extraction system on the shape of the plasma meniscus has been determined. The plasma electrode is set at +5000 volt and the acceleration voltage applied to the acceleration electrode is varied from -5000 volt to +5000 volt. In the most of the concave and convex plasma shapes, ion beam emittance can be calculated by using separate standard deviations of positions and elevations angles. Ion beam emittance as a function of the curvature of the plasma meniscus for different plasma shapes ( flat, concave and convex ) without space charge at acceleration voltage varied from -5000 volt to +5000 volt applied to the acceleration electrode of the triode extraction system has been investigated. The influence of the extraction gap on ion beam emittance for a plasma concave shape of 3.75 mm without space charge at acceleration voltage, Vacc = -2000 volt applied to the acceleration electrode of the triode extraction system has been determined. Also the influence of space charge on ion beam emittance for variable plasma meniscus at acceleration voltage, Vacc = - 2000 volt applied to the acceleration electrode of the triode extraction system has been studied.

Scratch resistance of a polycarbonate + organoclay nanohybrid

A polycarbonate-based nanohybrid has been created containing 1 wt% of Bentone 2010, an organically modified montmorillonite. A micro-section on the nanohybrid obtained using focused ion beam (FIB) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was employed to observe the orientation of the nanoclay inside a polycarbonate (PC) matrix in the cross-section FIB-milled face. A micro-scratch tester was used to measure the scratch resistance in terms of residual (healing) depth Rh under progressive load and in sliding wear. Effects of the number of scratches, normal load and scratch velocity have been evaluated as a function of nanoclay orientation. In sliding wear (multiple scratching along the same groove), our nanohybrid reaches residual depth values that remain constant after a certain number of scratches, a manifes- tation of strain hardening. The number of scratches to induce strain hardening decreases as the normal applied load increases. SEM was used to characterize deformation and wear mechanisms that operate on contacts and the results related to the wear data.

Ion Beam Emittance Measurement Based on Transformation MatrixTheory

In order to develop a high-quality ion beam line for bioengineering research and applications, the ion beam emittance of a beam line was measured to provide information on designing the following beam optics to meet the ion beam’s bioengineering requirements. The measurement was based on the transformation matrix theory for electrostatic and magnetic devices. The experimental setup included an ion source, an Einzel lens, a self-developed quadrupole magnetic lens and a multi-wire beam profile monitor. In the measurement, the beam size was first measured at the beam profile monitor as a function of focusing and was then fitted to the transformation matrix parameters. Finally, the best-fitted parameters were used to construct the phase ellipse of the beam’s emittance. The details on the relevant theory and measurement are described and the results are presented.

Strain Measurement by Digital Image Correlation

Strain Measurement by Digital Image Correlation