ISSN:
1089-7623
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
,
Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
Notes:
Light ion inertial fusion experiments require the presence of a moderate density background gas in the transport region to provide charge and current neutralization for a high current density ion beam. In this article, we investigate the effects of nonthermal particles such as beam ions or non-Maxwellian electron distributions on the ionization dynamics of the background gas. In particular, we focus on the case of Li beams being transported in an argon gas. Nonthermal particles as well as thermal electrons are included in time-dependent collisional-radiative calculations to determine time-dependent atomic level populations and charge state distributions in a beam-produced plasma. We also briefly discuss the effects of beam ions and energetic electrons on the visible and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral regions. It is found that the mean charge state of the gas, and hence the electron density, is significantly increased by collisions with energetic particles. This higher ionization significantly impacts the VUV spectral region, where numerous resonance lines occur. On the other hand, the visible spectrum tends to be less affected because the closely spaced excited states are populated by lower energy thermal electrons. © 1997 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1147827
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