Relationship between Surface-Produced H⁻ Density and the Potential Structure of an Ion-Ion Plasma near the Extraction Aperture in Negative Hydrogen Ion Sources

Abstract

The so-called “ion-ion” plasma, which consists primarily of negative and positive ions, has been observed near the extraction aperture in negative hydrogen ion (H⁻) sources with a substantial amount of surface-produced negative ions, according to several experiments. In this study, to elucidate the characteristics of ion-ion plasmas with substantial surface H⁻ production, the relationship between surface-produced negative ion density and electric potential is investigated using three-dimensional Particle-In-Cell simulations with the KEIO-BFX code. The results reveal that the plasma in a negative ion source can be classified into four distinct regions based on the relationship between H⁻ density and electric potential: Region (I), where H⁻ follows the Boltzmann relation; Region (II), where H⁺ follows the Boltzmann relation; Region (III), a transition region between the plasma region and the beam acceleration region; and Region (IV), the beam acceleration region. In negative ion sources with surface-produced H⁻ ions, plotting the H⁻ density against the electric potential offers a useful method for identifying the plasma meniscus, which is crucial for optimizing extracted beam quality and ensuring proper operation of beam extraction systems.