Investigation of the Formation of Microsecond Intense Deuterium Ion Beams Based on a Vacuum Arc with a Deuterium-Saturated Zirconium Cathode

The efficiency of neutron tubes as a source of pulsed neutron fluxes based on a vacuum arc with a deuterium-saturated zirconium cathode is determined by the neutron flux level attained in this type of devices. The paper reports on a study of the formation of deuterium ion beams with such a cathode at an arc current of several hundred amperes and pulse duration of less than 1 μs using an ion beam extraction and formation system based on the MevvaV.Ru ion source. The operating conditions and the cathode are typical for neutron tubes. The study provides data on the discharge system geometry, vacuum arc parameters, and parameters of microsecond ion beams that ensure the maximum current of deuterium ions.