DESIGNING NEUTRALIZED DRIFT COMPRESSION FOR FOCUSING OF INTENSE ION BEAM PULSES IN BACKGROUND PLASMA*

Neutralized drift compression offers an effective method for particle beam focusing and current amplification. In neutralized drift compression, a linear transverse and a longitudinal velocity tilt are applied to the beam pulse, so that the beam pulse compresses as it drifts in the drift-compression section. The beam intensity can increase more than a factor of 100 in both the radial and longitudinal directions, resulting in more than 10,000 times increase in the beam number density during this process. The self-electric and self-magnetic fields can prevent tight ballistic focusing and have to be neutralized by supplying neutralizing electrons. This paper presents a survey of the present theoretical understanding of the drift compression process and plasma neutralization of intense particle beams. The optimal configuration of focusing and neutralizing elements is discussed in this paper