Heavy ion beam-target interaction

Heavy ion beam energy deposition in plasma is predominantly due to the transfer of energy from the beam ions to the free and bound plasma electrons as a result of collision between these particles. The physics of ion beam stopping in hot matter is expected to be classical with little modification due to collective processes of plasma and electron degeneracy effect. Although no experiments on ion stopping have been done under ICF conditions, recent low density experiments in hot matter are consistent with theoretical predictions. In the indirect drive approach to ICF, the heavy ion beams are first absorbed within a high Z hohlraum, and the large fraction of the driver energy is converted into X-ray. Special features of the ion beam interaction with plasma are interaction with free electrons, effective charge state of the projectile ions and radiation conversion in the hot plasma. In many laboratories in the world, experiments are performed to examine an interaction between heavy ion beam and hot dense plasma. (author)