Plasma instability inside solenoid with laser ion source

Using a solenoid with a laser ion source can suppress divergence of the expanding plasma; however, it has been found that the plasma becomes unstable in a certain magnetic field region. In the previous research, instability of the plasma after the solenoid was found. In this study, we investigated how the plasma instability changes inside the solenoid. A Faraday cup was placed in the solenoid, and the unstable magnetic field range was investigated. This experiment was conducted while changing the Faraday cup position from the inlet to the outlet of the solenoid. By increasing the magnetic field strength, the Faraday cup position indicating a condition triggering instability moved toward upstream in the solenoid. In addition, the instability is gradually mitigated by transporting the laser ablation plasma through the rest of the solenoid. The detailed good working range of the solenoid for the Au¹⁺ beam was also shown.