Exploitation and development of particle beams at Culham Laboratory (invited)

• Published in: Review of Scientific Instruments 1990-01, Vol.61 (1), p.523-528
• Main Author: Green, T. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; BEAM CURRENTS; BEAM INJECTION; BEAM OPTICS; BEAM PRODUCTION; BEAM TRANSPORT; BEAMS; CHARGED PARTICLES; CURRENTS; Electromagnetism; electron and ion optics; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); HEATING; HYDROGEN IONS; ION IMPLANTATION; IONS 700101 > Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement, Heating, & Production; PARTICLE BEAMS; Physics; PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS; PLASMA HEATING; PLASMA PRODUCTION; USES
• ISSN: 0034-6748; 1089-7623
• DOI: 10.1063/1.1141240

Particle beams have been developed at the Culham Laboratory for many years, mainly for application to the production of high‐temperature plasmas. These developments included demonstration of fundamental plasma physics such as particle trapping, heating, and current drive coupled to continuous advances in the physics and technology of ion beam production and transport. This work reached its zenith in production of multimegawatt high‐proton fraction sources for the neutral beam injectors for JET. A new initiative is now coming for the development of negative ion based injectors. This wide ranging base of physics and technology provided a springboard for exploitation of beams in areas other than fusion. The last few years have seen increasing R and D at Culham in areas such as space, defense, surface treatment, and implantation. The applications have ranged from beams of H+ or H− to Xe+, from currents of less than 1 mA to currents of amperes and from energies of 50 eV to energies of hundreds of kilovolts. This paper describes some examples of these activities and relates them to the physics and technology base. Future areas of interest are also discussed.