A new 500-kV ion source test stand for HIF

One of the most challenging aspects of ion beam-driven inertial fusion energy is the reliable and efficient generation of low emittance, high current ion beams. The primary ion source requirements include a rise time of order 1-mus, a pulse width of at least 20-mus, a flattop ripple of less that 0.1% and a repetition rate of at least 5-Hz. Naturally, at such a repetition rate, the duty cycle of the source must be greater than 10(8) pulses. Although these specifications do not appear to exceed the state-of-the-art for pulsed power, considerable effort remains to develop a suitable high current ion source, Therefore, we are constructing a 500-kV test stand specifically for studying various ion source concepts including surface, plasma and metal vapor arcs. This paper will describe the test stand design specifications as well as the details of the various subsystems and components. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.