Collective ion accelerator based on a temporary and spatially modulated intense REB

The concept of ion accelerator, based on space charge slow wave excitation in overlimiting high current relativistic electron beam (REB) subjected to temporal and spatial modulation has been theoretically and experimentally investigated. Analytical theoretical model and 2.5-D electromagnetic code has been elaborated and applied for study of physical phenomena of low frequency modulation of REB current due to repetitive relaxation of virtual cathode (VC) at plasma injection, ions acceleration in VC potential well, spatial modulation of REB in a periodic magnetic field, electric field topography of excited space charge slow wave, ions acceleration by this wave, and radial instability of ion beam in potential well of modulated REB. All of these problems have been explored experimentally at pulsed electron accelerator "Agat" producing tubular electron beam of parameters: energy up to 300 keV, current 5.4 kA, pulse duration 0.8 μs, mean dial11eter 32 mm. Two-staged ion accelerator gives C
⁺
ion beam of energy 1.5 MeV and current 1 A.