Operation of a high-current drive beam electron gun prototype for the Compact Linear Collider.

The high-average current electron gun low energy electrons from a thermionic cathode at high intensity is the prototype of the drive beam source for the Compact Linear Collider project. The electromagnetic design of the gun was done originally with 2D simulations to minimize the beam emittance for high-current operation (of the order of 8 A) at 140 keV. This paper reports on the first experimental measurements of beam extraction and transport. For the first time, 3D tracking simulations, which take into account precisely the cathode-grid geometry, have been compared with experimental optical transition radiation images of the beam, and we obtained impressive agreement. In addition, we have confirmed that the details of the cathode-grid assembly can impact significantly the beam emittance.

Experimental discrimination of ion stopping models near the Bragg peak in highly ionized matter.

The energy deposition of ions in dense plasmas is a key process in inertial confinement fusion that determines the α-particle heating expected to trigger a burn wave in the hydrogen pellet and resulting in high thermonuclear gain. However, measurements of ion stopping in plasmas are scarce and mostly restricted to high ion velocities where theory agrees with the data. Here, we report experimental data at low projectile velocities near the Bragg peak, where the stopping force reaches its maximum. This parameter range features the largest theoretical uncertainties and conclusive data are missing until today. The precision of our measurements, combined with a reliable knowledge of the plasma parameters, allows to disprove several standard models for the stopping power for beam velocities typically encountered in inertial fusion. On the other hand, our data support theories that include a detailed treatment of strong ion-electron collisions.