Estimation of plasma density distribution in IHC source by means of FEM calculation

Abstract

In order to obtain higher beam current extraction with better quality, it is very important to identify plasma density distribution inside the indirectly heated cathode (IHC) ion source. In this paper, the calculations of the plasma density distribution are introduced, applying the finite element method (FEM) of anisotropic thermal conduction with the special modeling near the plasma sheath to ambipolar plasma diffusion. The results of calculation show good agreement with experimental results and indicate better geometry of the IHC ion source.