Experimental results of a magnetic field modification to the radio frequency driver of a negative ion source

A magnetic field produced by a current flowing through the plasma grid(PG) is one of the solutions to reduce the collisional loss of negative ions in a negative ion source, which reduces the electron temperature in front of the PG. However, the magnetic field diffused into the driver has some influence on the plasma outflowing. In order to investigate the effect of changing this magnetic field on the outflowing of plasma from the driver, a circular ring(absorber) of high permeability iron has been introduced at the driver exit, which can reduce the magnetic field around it and improve plasma outflowing. With the application of the absorber, the electron density is increased by about 35%, and the extraction current measured from the extraction grid is increased from 1.02 A to 1.29 A. The results of the extraction experiment with cesium injection show that both the extraction grid(EG) current and H-current are increased when the absorber is introduced.

An analysis and preliminary experiment of the discharge characteristics of RF ion source with electromagnetic shielding

Combined with two-dimensional(2D)and three-dimensional(3D)finite element analysis and preliminary experimental tests,the effects of size and placement of the electromagnetic shield of the radio-frequency(RF)ion source with two drivers on plasma parameters and RF power transfer efficiency are analyzed.It is found that the same input direction of the current is better for the RF ion source with multiple drivers.The electromagnetic shield(EMS)should be placed symmetrically around the drivers,which is beneficial for the plasma to distribute uniformly and symmetrically in both drivers.Furthermore,the bigger the EMS shield radius is the better generating a higher electron density.These results will be of guiding significance to the design of electromagnetic shielding for RF ion sources with a multi-driver.

Characteristics of the pressure profile in the accelerator on the RF negative ion source at ASIPP

Neutral beam injection(NBI)systems based on negative hydrogen ion sources-rather than the positive ion sources that have typically been used to date-will be used in the future magnetically confined nuclear fusion experiments to heat the plasma.The collisions between the fast negative ions and neutral background gas result in a significant number of high-energy positive ions being produced in the acceleration area,and for the high-power long-pulse operation of NBI systems,this acceleration of positive ions back to the ion source creates heat load and material sputtering on the source backplate.This difficulty cannot be ignored,with the neutral gas density in the acceleration region having a significant impact on the flux density of the backstreaming positive ions.In the work reported here,the pressure gradient in the acceleration region was estimated using an ionization gauge and a straightforward 1D computation,and it was found that once gas traveled through the acceleration region,the pressure dropped by nearly one order of magnitude,with the largest pressure drop occurring at the plasma grid.The computation also revealed that the pressure drop in the grid gaps was substantially smaller than that in the grid apertures.

3D fluid model analysis on the generation of negative hydrogen ions for negative ion source of NBI

A radio-frequency(RF) inductively coupled negative hydrogen ion source(NHIS) has been adopted in the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor(CFETR) to generate negative hydrogen ions.By incorporating the level-lumping method into a three-dimensional fluid model,the volume production and transportation of H^(-) in the NHIS,which consists of a cylindrical driver region and a rectangular expansion chamber,are investigated self-consistently at a large input power(40 k W) and different pressures(0.3–2.0 Pa).The results indicate that with the increase of pressure,the H^(-) density at the bottom of the expansion region first increases and then decreases.In addition,the effect of the magnetic filter is examined.It is noteworthy that a significant increase in the H^(-) density is observed when the magnetic filter is introduced.As the permanent magnets move towards the driver region,the H^(-) density decreases monotonically and the asymmetry is enhanced.This study contributes to the understanding of H-distribution under various conditions and facilitates the optimization of volume production of negative hydrogen ions in the NHIS.

A NEW ELECTRON IMPACT STORAGE ION SOURCE

A new electron impact storage ion source has been designed for time of flight mass spectrometers with a high mass resolving power and high sensitivity. Because of the storage and compressing focus of the source, the overall performance of the instrument has been improved greatly with a mass resolving power up to 3 500. The conditions of the second order of the focus are given and the storage ability is proved. The competer simulations and experiment results are given, too.

The Development of a Megawatt-Level High Current Ion Source

Neutral beam injection is one of the main plasma heating methods in nuclear fusion devices. In order to support the scientific study of the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak （EAST）, a megawatt-level high current ion source is designed and manufactured in the ASIPP, and the progress and preliminary test results will be presented in this paper.

Design and preliminary results of beam return on of high power ion source

Long pulse operation of high power ion source is the requirement of fusion science research on neutral beam injector. A breakdown of accelerator column is drastically increased when operating with high beam energy and long beam duration. To extend the pulse length, which was stopped with every breakdown so far, the beam re-starting technology was developed and utilized. As a result, the voltage drop of every power supply due to breakdown was recovered within a time of 90 ms and beam pulse length was extended much longer than the case before this improvement. The details of the beam re-starting technology and the preliminary results were presented in this manuscript.

Factors Influencing the Electron Yield of Needle-Ring Pulsed Corona Discharge Electron Source for Negative Ion Mobility Spectrometer

A simple negative ion mobility spectrometer （IMS） is designed and used to investi- gate the factors that influence the number and efficiency of electrons generated by the needle-ring pulsed corona discharge electron source. Simulation with Ansoft Maxwell 12 is carried out to analyze the electric field distribution within the IMS, and to offer the basis and foundation for analyzing the measurement results. The measurement results of the quantities of electrons show that when the drift electric field strength and the ring inner diameter rise, both the number of ef- fective electrons and the effective electron rate are increased. When the discharge voltage becomes stronger, the number of effective electrons goes up while the effective electron rate goes down. In light of the simulation results, mechanisms underlying the effects of drift electric field strength, ring inner diameter, and discharge voltage on the effective electron number and effective electron rate are discussed. These will make great sense for designing negative ion mode IMS using the needle-ring pulsed corona discharge as the electron source.

Hefei utility negative ions test equipment with RF source:commissioning and first results

In order to study the key technology and physics of RF driven negative ion source for neutral beam injector in China, the Hefei utility negative ions test equipment with RF source was developed at Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（ASIPP）. Its negative ion source can be equipped with single or double RF drivers. There is a plasma expansion chamber with depth of 19 mm and an enhanced filter field. A three electrodes negative ion accelerator was employed to extract and accelerate the negative ions, which are plasma grid,extraction grid and ground grid. And there are several diagnostic tools for the plasma and beam parameters measurement. The characteristics of plasma generation, negative ion production and extraction were studied on the test equipment. The negative ion beam was extracted from the RF driven negative ion source for the first time. The detailed structure and main results are presented in this article.

A Reflectron Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer with a Nano-Electrospray Ionization Source for Study of Metal Cluster Compounds

An experiment facility has been set up for the study of metal cluster compounds in our laboratory, which consists of a nano-electrospray ionization source, an ion transmission and focus system, and a reflectron time-of-fight mass spectrometer. Taking advantage of the nano-electrospray ionization source, polyvalent ions are usually produced in the ＂ionization＂ process and the obtained mass resolution of the equipment is over 8000. The molecular ion peaks of metal cluster compounds [Au20（PPhpy2）10Cl2]（SbF6）4, where PPhpy2=bis（2- pyridyl）phenylphosphine, and [AuaAg2（C）L6]（BF4）4, where L=2-（diphenylphosphino）-5- methylpyridine, are distinguished in the respective mass spectrum, accompanied by some fragment ion peaks. In addition, the mass-to-charge ratios of the parent ions are determi- nated. Preliminary results suggest that the device is a powerful tool for the study of metal cluster compounds. It turns out that the information obtained by the instrumentation serves as an essential supplement to single crystal X-ray diffraction for structure characterization of metal cluster compounds.

The development of data acquisition and processing application system for RF ion source

As the key ion source component of nuclear fusion auxiliary heating devices, the radio frequency （RF） ion source is developed and applied gradually to offer a source plasma with the advantages of ease of control and high reliability. In addition, it easily achieves long-pulse steady-state operation. During the process of the development and testing of the RF ion source, a lot of original experimental data will be generated. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a stable and reliable computer data acquisition and processing application system for realizing the functions of data acquisition, storage, access, and real-time monitoring. In this paper, the development of a data acquisition and processing application system for the RF ion source is presented. The hardware platform is based on the PXI system and the software is programmed on the LabVIEW development environment. The key technologies that are used for the implementation of this software programming mainly include the long-pulse data acquisition technology, multi- threading processing technology, transmission control communication protocol, and the Lempel-Ziv-Oberhumer data compression algorithm. Now, this design has been tested and applied on the RF ion source. The test results show that it can work reliably and steadily. With the help of this design, the stable plasma discharge data of the RF ion source are collected, stored, accessed, and monitored in real-time. It is shown that it has a very practical application significance for the RF experiments.

Effects of Different Nitrogen Sources and Metal Ions on Biogas Generation by Corn Stalk Fermentation

[Objective] The present study was conducted to explore the effects of dif- ferent nitrogen sources and metal ions on the biogas production process and biogas yield by fermentation of corn stalk powder using self-designed anaerobic fermenta- tion system. [Method] The biogas produced during fermentation was collected by water displacement, and measured by ignition. [Result] Ammonium bicarbonate, urea and yeast extract powder all increased biogas yield. Among them, ammonium bi- carbonate was the best nitrogen source. Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate showed an inhibitory effect on biogas production. Biogas yield was significantly increased by adding NaCl, KCl, MgCl2 or CaCl2, among which, NaCl had the best effect. [Conclu- sion] It is not conducive to the growth and development of methanogenic flora in the production of biogas using corn stalks as the only material in fermentation. The biogas yield can be increased by adding exogenous nitrogen, which reduces the carbon to nitrogen （C：N） ratio of fermentation materials. The biogas yield can be significantly increased by adding appropriate types and amount of electrolytes, with appropriate C：N ratio. The methanogenic flora is more tolerant to NaCl and KCl than to MgCl2 and CaCl2. Moreover, NaCl can not only significantly increase the biogas production, but also shorten startup period of methanogenic flora, thereby shortening the gas producing cycle.

Commissioning of a high-resolution collinear laser spectroscopy apparatus with a laser ablation ion source

Collinear laser spectroscopy is a powerful tool for studying the nuclear spins,electromagnetic moments,and charge radii of exotic nuclei.To study the nuclear properties of unstable nuclei at the Beijing Radioactive Ion-beam Facility(BRIF)and the future High Intensity Heavy-ion Accelerator Facility(HIAF),we developed a collinear laser spectroscopy apparatus integrated with an offline laser ablation ion source and a laser system.The overall performance of this state-of-the-art technique was evaluated,and the system was commissioned using a bunched stable ion beam.The high-resolution optical spectra for the 4s ^(2)S_(1/2)→4p^(2)P_(3/2)(D2)ionic transition of ^(40;42;44;48)Ca isotopes were successfully measured.The extracted isotope shifts relative to ^(40)Ca showed excellent agreement with the literature values.This system is now ready for use at radioactive ion beam facilities such as the BRIF and paves the way for the further development of higher-sensitivity collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy techniques.

Diagnosing the Fine Structure of Electron Energy Within the ECRIT Ion Source

The ion source of the electron cyclotron resonance ion thruster （ECRIT） extracts ions from its ECR plasma to generate thrust, and has the property of low gas consumption （2 seem, standard-state cubic centimeter per minute） and high durability. Due to the indispensable effects of the primary electron in gas discharge, it is important to experimentally clarify the electron energy structure within the ion source of the ECRIT through analyzing the electron energy distribution function （EEDF） of the plasma inside the thruster. In this article the Langmuir probe diagnosing method was used to diagnose the EEDF, from which the effective electron temperature, plasma density and the electron energy probability function （EEPF） were deduced. The experimental results show that the magnetic field influences the curves of EEDF and EEPF and make the effective plasma parameter nonuniform. The diagnosed electron temperature and density from sample points increased from 4 eV/2 ×10^16 m-3 to 10 eV/4×10^16 m-3 with increasing distances from both the axis and the screen grid of the ion source. Electron temperature and density peaking near the wall coincided with the discharge process. However, a double Maxwellian electron distribution was unexpectedly observed at the position near the axis of the ion source and about 30 mm from the screen grid. Besides, the double Maxwellian electron distribution was more likely to emerge at high power and a low gas flow rate. These phenomena were believed to relate to the arrangements of the gas inlets and the magnetic field where the double Maxwellian electron distribution exits. The results of this research may enhance the understanding of the plasma generation process in the ion source of this type and help to improve its performance.

Laser ion source for heavy ion inertial fusion

The proposed heavy ion inertial fusion(HIF)scenarios require ampere class low charge state ion beams of heavy species.The laser ion source(LIS)is recognized as one of the promising candidates of ion beam providers,since it can deliver high brightness heavy ion beams to accelerators.The design of LIS for the HIF depends on the accelerator structure and accelerator complex following the source.In this article,we discuss the specifications and design of an appropriate LIS assuming two major types of the accelerators:radio frequency(RF)high quality factor cavity type and non-resonant induction core type.We believe that a properly designed LIS would satisfy the requirements of both types,while some issues need to be verified experimentally.

Diagnosis of Hydrogen Plasma in a Miniature Penning Ion Source by Double Probes

Parameters of hydrogen plasma in a miniature Penning discharge ion source, including the electron temperature and the electron density, were measured by using double probes. The results indicate that the electron density increases and the electron temperature decreases with the increase in gas pressure and the discharge current. The electron temperature is about 5 - 9 eV and the electron density is 6.0× 10^13 ～ 1.2 × 10^14 m^-3 while the discharge current is in a range of 50 - 120 μA.

Practical 2.45-GHz microwave-driven Cs-free Hˉ ion source developed at Peking University

A practical 2.45-GHz microwave-driven Cs-free H^- source was improved based on the experimental H^- source at Peking University（PKU）. Several structural improvements were implemented to meet the practical requirements of Xi＇an Proton Application Facility（XiPaf）. Firstly, the plasma chamber size was optimized to enhance the plasma intensity and stability. Secondly, the filter magnetic field and electron deflecting magnetic field were enhanced to reduce co-extracted electrons. Thirdly, a new two-electrode extraction system with farther electrode gap and enhanced water cooling ability to diminish spark and sputter during beam extraction was applied. At last, the direct H^- current measuring method was adopted by the arrangement of a new pair of bending magnets before Faraday cup（FC） to remove residual electrons. With these improvements, electron cyclotron resonance（ECR） magnetic field optimization experiments and operation parameter variation experiments were carried out on the H^- ion source and a maximum 8.5-mA pure H^- beam was extracted at 50 kV with the time structure of 100 Hz/0.3 ms. The root-mean-square（RMS） emittance of the beam is 0.25 Π·mm·mrad. This improved H^- source and extraction system were maintenance-free for more than 200 hours in operation.

Ion source effect on the bond length of ^4HeH^＋

The bond length of ^4HeH^＋ resulting from collision-induced destruction is measured at 1.4420 MeV using the Coulomb Explosion Technique. The measured bond length of ^4HeH^＋ is 0.094±0.003nm. The bond length of ^4HeH^＋ obtained with our radio frequency （RF） ion source is larger than that obtained with a duoplasmatron ion source at Argonne National Laboratory （ANL）, but the bond lengths of H^＋2 and H^＋3obtained separately by ANL and by us with the two different ion sources are consistent with each other, which implies that there exists an ion source effect on the bond length of ^4HeH^＋. The main reason why the 4^4HeH^＋ bond lengths obtained by the two different ion sources are different is also discussed.

Effect of magnetic field distribution on ECR ion source discharge

An electron cyclotron resonance ion source model that uses a coaxial antenna to inject the RF power was simulated, and the corresponding hydrogen plasma densities of the ion source were calculated at different magnetic field distributions via a fluid model. The results show that most of the microwave power is absorbed around the resonance surface near the antenna when the plasma density is below the cutoff density of 7.4 × 10^(16) m^(-3) for 2.45 GHz microwaves, and the simulation results also show that the plasma density is strongly influenced by the position and shape of the resonance surface, where a larger resonance surface would improve the plasma density.

The Arc Regulation Characteristics of the High-Current Ion Source for the EAST Neutral Beam Injector

The arc regulation method is applied to the high-current ion source for high-power hydrogen ion beam extraction for the first time. The characteristics of the arc and beam, including the probe ion saturation current, the arc power and the beam current, are studied with feedback control. The results show that the arc regulation method can be successfully applied to ion beam extraction. This lays a sound foundation for the testing of a new ion source and the operation of a conditioned ion source for neutral beam injector devices.