Optimization of ion sources for controlled fusion research applications

The prospect for improvements in the performance of ion sources for controlled fusion research applications is investigated from a theoretical point of view. The objectives are identified in terms of beam energy, intensity, purity and power efficiency. By analyzing the process in the extraction and formation of an ion beam, an expression is obtained which relates the parameters of the ion source to the quality of the beam. The implications of the result in improving the performance of the ion source for CTR applications is discussed