Two approaches to electron beam enhancement of the metal vapor vacuum arc ion source

Abstract

Conclusive demonstration of electron-beam enhancement of ion charge states for the Metal Vapor Vacuum Arc (MEVVA) ion source was recently achieved using an external electron beam (E-MEVVA) in experiments performed jointly among the Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP), Moscow, Russia, the High Current Electronics Institute (HCEI), Tomsk, Russia, and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), USA. The E-MEVVA experiments were performed in Moscow and Tomsk with nearly the same design of ion sources. Results for lead and bismuth cathodes yielded maximum ion charge states of Pb7+ and Bi8+ for E-MEVVA, as compared to Pb2+ and Bi2+ for conventional MEVVA operation. Additional encouraging results were also obtained using a Z-discharge to produce an internal electron-beam (Z-MEVVA and LIZ-MEV).