High-current heavy ion beams in electrostatic plasma lens

Summary form only given, as follows. There is a need for an alternative to traditional vacuum ion optic systems for the case of high-current beams, particularly for moderate energy (10-100 keV) heavy ion beam manipulation, when space charge forces are large. The axially-symmetric electrostatic plasma lens provides an attractive and unique alternative. Use of a plasma lens in this way was successful demonstrated by a series of experiments. Here we briefly review the plasma lens fundamentals, peculiarities of focusing heavy ion beams, and summarize some recent developments (experiments, computer simulations, theory). We show that there is a very narrow range of low magnetic field for which the optical properties of the lens improve markedly. This opens up possibilities for creation of a new-generation compact lens based on permanent magnets. The first experimental results obtained at Kiev and Berkeley about the operation of a permanent magnet plasma lens for manipulating wide aperture high-current heavy ion beams will be presented and summarized.