Magnetic filter field for ELISE––Concepts and design

Negative ion neutral beam injection heating systems as planned for ITER need efficient precautions in the plasma source to minimize the co-extraction of electrons and destruction of negative ions. One solution is to apply a magnetic filter field of several mT, which reduces the electron temperature and the amount of electrons in the extraction region in front of the plasma grid. For the small IPP prototype sources it has been found, that both, the absolute value of the magnetic flux density in the extraction region as well as its integral along the distance from plasma driver to plasma grid has an important influence on the performance of the source. In the ITER ion sources, a strong current of several kA driven through the plasma grid is used to create the transversal magnetic field. The test bed ELISE (Extraction from a Large Ion Source Experiment) at IPP Garching houses the first negative ion source with the full width of the ITER source, with a similar aperture arrangement of the extraction system and with a magnetic filter field formed by a plasma grid current. One issue of the research at this test facility will be to explore and optimize the magnetic filter field. The paper summarizes experiences and results of previous filter field test campaigns and presents the magnetic filter field design for ELISE.