Transport of a partially-neutralized ion beam in a heavy-ion fusion reactor chamber

In a heavy-ion driven, inertial confinement fusion power plant, a space-charge dominated beam of heavy ions must be transported through a reactor chamber and focused on a 2-3 mm spot at the target. The spot size at the target is determined by the beam emittance and space charge, plus chromatic aberrations in the focusing lens system and errors in aiming the beam. The gain of the ICF capsule depends on the focal spot size. We are investigating low density, nearly-ballistic transport using an electromagnetic, r-z particle-in-cell code. Even at low density (n≈5×10¹³ cm^-3), beam stripping may be important. To offset the effects of stripping and reduce the space charge, the beam is partially charge neutralized via a pre-formed plasma near the chamber entrance. Additional electrons for charge neutralization come from ionization of the background gas by the beam. Simulations have shown that stripping can greatly increase the spot size; however, partial neutralization can offset most of this increase