Electron beam propagation in the ion-focused and resistive regimes

Pinched propagation of intense relativistic electron beams occurs in several distinct pressure regimes. In low density gases (∼1–100 mtorr), the beam propagates in the ion-focused regime (IFR). The beam ionizes the neutral gas, and plasma electrons are ejected, leaving behind a positive ion column which pinches the beam electrostatically. At gas densities near 1 atm, the beam-generated plasma is resistive and the pinch effect is provided by the self-magnetic field of the beam. Beam transport experiments in both regimes have been performed on the Advanced Test Accelerator (ATA) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and on SuperLBEX at the Naval Research Laboratory. IFR methods have been employed in both experiments to transport the beam prior to injection into the air and to introduce a head-to-tail taper in the the beam radius. IFR simulations have shown how the resulting beam radius and emittance profiles are influenced by gas density, chamber dimensions and entrance and exit foils. Beam propagation in dense gas is subject to disruption by the resistive hose instability. However, both experiments and simulations have shown that the emittance variation introduced by IFR transport can substantially reduce the growth of the hose instability. Both experiments have also propagated beams in reduced-density channels. Simulations predict that the channel may in some cases produce a moderate stabilizing and tracking effect arising from plasma currents flowing at the edge of the channel.