Long pulse H- beam extraction with a rf driven ion source on a high power level

IPP Garching is investigating the applicability of rf driven negative ion sources for the neutral beam injection of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. The setup of the tested source was improved to enable long pulses up to 100 kW rf power. The efficiency of negative ion production decreases at high power. The extracted H- currents as well as the symmetry of the plasma density close to the plasma grid and of the beam divergence depend on the magnetic filter field. The pulse duration is limited by the increase in coextracted electrons, which depends on the rf power and the caesium conditions on the plasma grid.