Assessment of Scaling Laws and Propagation Windows for Focussing of Ion Beams in Fusion Target Chambers. Final Report

摘要

Intense beams of multi-GeV high atomic weight ions are being actively investigated as possible ignitors for pellet fusion reactors. Beam transport models were developed for the final focussing of these beams in the reactor chamber, and investigated the role of microinstabilities, filamentation, conductivity, multiple scattering, and knockon electrons. Two propagation windows exist, namely the vacuum window at pressures below about 10 exp -3 - 10 exp -4 torr and a window around 1 torr. The 1 torr window (which is desirable from a reactor viewpoint) became less certain this year due to our discovery of the major role played by knock-on electrons which are sufficiently numerous to produce a reversed (ion-defocussing) magnetic field ahead of the ion pulse. Unless most of the knock-on current is wiped out by self-fields, this effect appears to eliminate use of self-pinched ion beams, and may degrade ballistic mode spot sizes as well. Intermediate energy knock-on electrons (0.3 less than or equal to v/sub z//V/sub b/ less than or equal to 1) may also dominate the electrical conductvity in the ion pulse, and will influence micro-instability and filamentation calculations. (ERA citation 05:021527)