Visible camera-based diagnostic to study negative ion beam profiles in ROBIN ion source

Abstract

Ensuring ion beam quality is of prime importance concerning the design of large-size neutral beam injectors(NBIs). Homogeneity, divergence, and beam energy are three crucial parameters defining beam quality. ROBIN(RF-Operated Beam source in India for Negative ions) source is one such prototype for extracting H− ion beam from hydrogen plasma. The extracted beam interacts with background neutrals and emits photons. These emissions are proportional to current density and the visible range emissions are used to characterize the beam using CCD cameras. The observed vertical emission profiles depict Gaussian-type asymmetric wings with a tilted flat-top that suggest non-uniform beam groups from the two grid segments. Divergence data extracted from the camera decreases with the acceleration voltage sweep. A strong correlation of the camera divergence data with calorimeter measurements was observed. A numerical beam model is in development to provide more insight into this correlation and pave the way to study beam group interaction.