Ion beam transport and focusing experiments in a neutralizing gas background

Summary form only given. Ion beam transport and focusing experiments are being conducted at Cornell. In these experiments the ion beam is created in an extraction geometry, magnetically insulated diode powered by the Castor generator. Typical beam parameters are 350 kV peak voltage, 60 kA peak current, and 125 ns FWHM pulse duration. The magnetic field in the anode-cathode gap is twice the critical insulating fluid, and ion current density is ten times Child-Langmuir. The beam is about 90% protons. The transport and focusing experiments are aimed at verifying the properties of a two-lens system that is predicted to correct to first order for chromatic aberration and radial beam divergence. A neutralizing background of argon gas is provided to improve beam propagation. The gas is injected by a puff valve and reaches a peak pressure of around 100 mTorr.