When a high efficiency (electric power and gas efficiency) sheet plasma is shaped by arranging two rectangular permanent magnets on both sides of a cyclindrical plasma (produced by H
2 gas discharge along a uniform magnetic field), a local voltage above 30 V can be kept between the cylindrical plasma and the sheet plasma, which accelerates electrons (that is, produces an electron beam sheet over a large surface). Then, an H
- ion current extracted from outside of the sheet plasma increases abruptly with the local voltage. We estimate from this experimental fact that a vibrationally excited H
2 gas with a high density is produced by the electron beam sheet with a high electron density and high energy (>30 eV).
This characteristics of the sheet plasma much improves a gas efficiency and a discharge power efficiency as volume produced H
-, D
- ion source for high cuurent density and large area, compared with bucket (multi-cusp) type plasmas and reflex discharge (Penning) type plasmas.
View full abstract