A study on successive generation of intense pulsed ion beams by the inverse pinch ion diode

Successive generation of intense pulsed ion beams was studied experimentally by the inverse pinch ion diode. When the anode of metals or plastics is used as an ion source, the diode impedance and the ion beam current were changed with every shots of operation. In case of a copper anode, the ion current at the tenth shot was reduced to one half or one third than that at the first shot. Using soda-lime glass (Na2O·CaO·5SiO2) surface of which vacuum oil or Aquadag was coated as the ion source, the diode impedance and the ion current remained constant during 25-30 shots. Using the vacuum oil ion source, the most dominant species in the ion beam was C3+ which has energy in the range of 150-200 keV. The current density of the ion beam at 120 mm behind the anode was about 100 A/cm2. (author)