Ion beam generation and focusing on PBFA II

During the past year we have succeeded in obtaining a 5 TW/cm
²
proton focus
¹
on Sandia National Laboratories' Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator (PBFA) II. This has allowed us to shift our experimental emphasis to the implementation of an improved ion diode geometry for higher voltage operation, full azimuthal beam characterization, and especially lithium ion source experiments. We have made significant progress in each of these areas during the past year, demonstrating 10 MV diode operation, ± 10% azimuthal beam symmetry, and promising initial results from lithium ion source experiments.