Development of a dc low pressure D− surface-conversion source using a 10-cm-diam solid barium converter

Abstract

A D− surface-conversion source using a solid barium converter is designed for steady-state operation to produce 200 mA of D−. A similar ion source of twice the size as the one discussed here will meet the requirements set by the present US-ITER neutral beam injector design. Among the possible types of ion sources being considered for the US-ITER neutral beam design, the barium converter surface-conversion source is the only kind that does not use cesium in the discharge. This absence of cesium will minimize the number of accelerator breakdowns.