Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026
10:37
Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
Published on: January 9, 2014
Drift compression of an intense neutralized ion beam
P K Roy1, S S Yu, E Henestroza
1Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|December 31, 2005
Summary
Intense neutralized beams were compressed longitudinally using plasma and an induction cell, significantly increasing peak current. This advancement achieved a 50x current enhancement and a 3 ns pulse duration for particle beam applications.
Area of Science:
- Plasma Physics
- Beam Physics
- Particle Accelerators
Background:
- Intense charged particle beams are crucial for various applications.
- Achieving high peak currents and short pulse durations is a key challenge.
- Space-charge effects limit beam performance in traditional accelerators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate longitudinal compression of an intense neutralized beam.
- To enhance beam peak current and reduce pulse duration.
- To validate the effectiveness of plasma-based space-charge neutralization and velocity ramping.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 300 keV, 25 mA neutralized beam.
- Employed a 1-2 m drift section filled with plasma for neutralization.
- Used an induction cell to create a velocity ramp from head-to-tail.
Main Results:
- Achieved longitudinal beam compression.
- Enhanced beam peak current by a factor of 50.
- Produced a compressed beam pulse duration of approximately 3 ns.
- Confirmed results with two independent diagnostic systems.
Conclusions:
- Longitudinal compression of intense neutralized beams is feasible.
- Plasma neutralization and velocity ramping effectively enhance beam current and shorten pulse duration.
- The demonstrated technique shows promise for advanced accelerator applications.
