Energy Loss of a Low-Energy Ion Beam in Passage through an Equilibrium Cesium Plasma

The energy loss of a beam of cesium ions traversing a near-thermal equilibrium cesium plasma has been measured as a function of plasma density at ion-beam energies of 35 to 150 eV. The plasma electron/ion temperature was 2100°K, and the charged-particle density was varied from (0.1 to 3.7)×${10}^{11}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{-3\mathrm{}}$. The measured energy loss is found to agree very well with theoretical predictions.