Production and diagnosis of a lithium anode plasma source for intense ion beam diodes

A scheme for the production of a thin layer of dense lithium plasma is outlined, and the results of a proof-of-principle experiment are presented. Our objective is to produce a thin layer of lithium plasma for the anode plasma of an intense ion beam diode, such as the one being designed for inertial confinement fusion experiments with the Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator II. Minimum requirements for the lithium anode plasma density, thickness, and purity are developed. Production of a lithium vapor layer by pulsed evaporation, and plasma formation by laser ionization based on resonant saturation (LIBORS) of the vapor are described. Lithium was evaporated, by ohmic heating with a two step capacitor discharge, from a thin layer of lithium silver alloy deposited on a tantalum foil. A two-photon pumped fluoresence technique was developed and used to characterize the density and thickness of the vapor layer. A peak vapor density near 1×1016 cm−3 with a thickness of a few millimeters was observed. The electron density of the final plasma was inferred from broadening of the 460.3 nm lithium line, and agreed with the lithium neutral density within experimental uncertainty, for several different lithium densities.