Spatial Distribution Analyses of Axially Long Plasmas under a Multi-Cusp Magnetic Field Using a Kinetic Particle Simulation Code KEIO-MARC

To realize the development of a long plasma source with a uniform electron density distribution in the axial direction, the spatial distribution of plasma under a multi-cusp magnetic field was analyzed using a KEIO-MARC code. Considering a cylindrical plasma source with an axial length of 3000 mm and a cross-sectional diameter of 100 mm, in which the filament electrode was the electron source, the electron density distribution was calculated using the residual magnetic flux density, B_res, and the number of permanent magnets installed at different locations surrounding the device, N_mag, as design parameters. The results show that both B_res and N_mag improved the uniformity of the electron density distribution in the axial direction. The maximum axial electron density decreased with increasing N_mag and increased with increasing B_res. These trends can be explained by considering the nature of the multi-cusp field, where particles are mainly confined to the field-free region (FFR) near the center of the plasma column, and the loss of particles due to radial particle transport. The use of multiple filaments at intervals shorter than the plasma decay length dramatically improved axial uniformity. To further improve axial uniformity, the filament length and FFR must be properly set so that electrons are emitted inside the FFR.