Analysis of discharge characteristics of the inertial electrostatic confinement fusion using a particle code with Monte Carlo collision scheme

Abstract

In this paper, we study the mechanism of a self-maintaining discharge in the Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion (IECF) with D/sub 2/ gas. We developed a 1-D particle code with Monte Carlo collision scheme including atomic and molecular processes of ion, energetic neutral, and electron impact based on the PDS-1 code. Also we developed the energy dependent transparency model of the cathode, and applied constant discharge current control to simulate a steady discharge. As electrons are accelerated quickly just outside of the cathode, electron impact ionization hardly occurred outside the cathode. Therefore, the quantity of D/sub 2//sup +/ supplied by electron impact ionization is not enough to maintain a discharge. From the simulation, we found that D/sub 2//sup +/ impact charge-exchange and D/sub 2//sup 0/ impact re-ionization contribute greatly to maintain a discharge.