Two-stream stability assessment of intense heavy ion beams propagating in a plasma immersed in an axial magnetic field

The stability of intense heavy ion beams propagating in preformed plasmas is being assessed for heavy-ion fusion reactor chamber parameters. A dispersion analysis is used to determine unstable two-stream modes for charge- and current-neutralized heavy ion beams propagating in a cold background plasma. Growth rates are compared directly with 2D particle-in-cell simulations. These simulations are also examined to determine saturation amplitudes of the electron thermal energy as well as any deleterious effects on the ion beam.