Vacuum-Spark Metal Ion Source Based on a Modified Marx Generator

The plasma generating parts of ion sources
including their power supplies are usually floated to
high potential (ion extraction voltage), thus requiring
great insulation efforts and high costs for high-energy
ion beams. A new concept for pulsed ion sources is
presented in which a single power supply is used to
simultaneously produce the plasma and high extractor
voltage via a modified Marx generator. Proof-ofprinciple
experiments have been performed with highcurrent
spark discharges in vacuum where multiply
charged ions are produced with this Marx-generator
based ion source ("Magis"). Using "Magis", it has
been demonstrated that pulsed iol) beams of very high
energies can be obtained with relatively low voltage.
For copper, ion of charge states up to 7+ have been
found whose energy was 112 keY for a charging
voltage of only 10 kV.