Ion beam handling in magnetized plasmas

Intense ion beams are shown to behave like weak beams when transported through hot and dense magnetized plasmas. Magnetic diffusion and hydrodynamic motion are shown to be minimized by high plasma conductivity and inertia. Transport and focusing elements are examined for beam brightness effects and attainment of high current density. Beam acceleration and brightness enhancement are shown to occur in imploding channels. Self propagation of ion beams is predicted to happen at beam brightnesses comparable to those needed for fusion.