Operation of a dc large aperture volume-production H− source

Abstract
In testing a multicusp volume‐production H ion source (20 cm diameter, 23 cm long), we optimized the gas pressure, the plasma electrode bias potential, and the magnetic filter. At the optimum pressure of 9 mTorr, the H beam output increased linearly with discharge power. The maximum H beam, measured with a current transformer downstream of the accelerator, was 100 mA while using a 6.67‐cm2 aperture. Presently we are limited by overheating of the cathodes by the plasma ions. Under similar discharge conditions the maximum H current density was found to vary as a−0.7, where a is the aperture radius. Results from emittance measurements showed that the effective H ion temperature increased with a for a>0.8 cm. Thus, the brightness of the beam decreased with increasing aperture radius. Operating the source with cesium would increase the H output; however, our accelerator must be improved to avoid breakdowns caused by the cesium contamination.

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