The effect of ion current density amplification in a diode with passive anode in magnetic self-isolation mode

The results of a study on gigawatt power pulsed ion beam parameters are presented here. The pulsed ion beam is formed by a diode with an explosive-emission potential electrode, in magnetic self-isolation mode [A. I. Pushkarev, J. I. Isakova, M. S. Saltimakov et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 013104 (2010)]. The ion current density is 20-40 A/cm(2), the energy of the ions is 200-250 keV, and the beam composition is of protons and carbon ions. Experiments have been performed on the TEMP-4M accelerator, set in double-pulse formation mode. To measure the beam parameters, we used a time-of-flight diagnosis. It is shown that the carbon ion current density, formed in a planar diode with graphite potential electrode, is five to seven times higher than the values calculated from the Child-Langmuir ratio. A model of ion current density amplification in a diode with magnetic self-isolation is proposed. The motion of electrons in the anode-cathode gap is simulated using the program CST PARTICLE STUDIO. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3526736]