Simulations of intense pulsed ion beam uniformity in a planar magnetically insulated ion diode

Using the self-consistent, 2-1/2-dimensional particle-in-cell MAGIC code, based upon the explosive emission model, we have simulated the characteristics of the proton flux extracted from a planar magnetically insulated diode with a 200-mm-wide and an 8 mm anode-cathode gap. Results of numerical calculation, e.g., the spatial distributions of the extracted proton current density vs time and the spatial distribution of particles in diode gap are presented at a diode voltage of 300 kV with 40 as pulse duration and an externally insulating magnetic field of 0-4B(crit). With the increase of the magnetic field, the uniformity of the extracted proton flux is significantly improved; however, the maximum of the proton current density and one of the proton energy density decrease from 150 to 45 A/cm(2) and from 1.0 to 0.3 J/cm(2), respectively, when B varied from 0 to 4B(crit). The effects of the magnetic field on uniformity of the extracted proton flux are discussed in this article. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.