Paper detail

Spatial distributions of plasma potential and density in electron cyclotron resonance ion source

The Numerical Advanced Model of Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (NAM-ECRIS) is applied for studies of the physical processes in the source. Solutions of separately operating electron and ion modules of NAM-ECRIS are matched in iterative way such as to obtain the spatial distributions of the plasma density and of the plasma potential. Results reveal the complicated profiles with the maximized plasma density close to the ECR surface and on the source axis. The ion-trapping potential dips are calculated to be on the level of ~(0.01-0.05) V being located at the plasma density maxima. The highly charged ions are also localized close to the ECR surface. The biased electrode effect is due to an electron string along the source axis formed by reflection of electrons from the biased electrode and the extraction aperture. The string makes profiles of the highly charged ions more peaked on the source axis, thus increasing the extracted ion currents.