Plasma instabilities and the compensation of space charge in an ion beam

An analysis is given of the mechanism whereby strong variable electric fields occur in an ion beam in which the space charge is compensated by the electrons which the beam produces in a rarefied gas. An experimental study has been made of the nature of the plasma instabilities responsible for the dynamic decompensation of the beam and effective means of controlling these instabilities have been found. The results are more or less applicable to all physical systems in which intense ion beams in a strong magnetic field are used, for example electromagnetic isotope-separators and plasma traps with external injection of fast ions.