Ballistic-neutralized chamber transport of intense heavy ion beams

Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of intense heavy ion beams pro pagating in an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) reactor chamber are presen ted. The ballistic-neutralized transport scheme studied uses 4 GeV Pb+1 ion beams injected into a low-density, gas-filled reactor chamber and the beam is ballistically focused onto an ICF target before entering the chamber. C harge and current neutralization of the beam is provided by the low-density background gas. The ballistic-neutralized simulations include stripping of the beam ions as the beam traverses the chamber as well as ionization of t he background plasma. In addition, a series of simulations are presented th at explore the charge and current neutralization of the ion beam in an evac uated chamber. For this vacuum transport mode, neutralizing electrons are o nly drawn from sources near the chamber entrance. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.