Plasma lens for transformation the ITEP heavy ion accelerator with TDI-pseudosparks

Transportation and focusing of intense heavy-ion beams is an important issue for heavy ion beam-driven inertial confinement fusion and physics of high energy densities. Application of plasma lens offers certain advantages over traditional systems based on quadruple lenses. A description of the plasma lens with high-power high-current (up to 400 kA) TDI-pseudosparks as switching elements and experimental results of preliminary studies of plasma lens designed for heavy ion accelerator-accumulated facility TWAC-ITEP are reported. It is shown that a focusing capability of plasma lens depends on a stage of plasma discharge development. In a particular stage it is possible to employ sharp focusing and compress the beam into a very small spot. In other stages when the magnet field is non-linear it is possible to shape various beam configurations, in particular, tube structures. In the report the results of investigations implemented with beams of C⁺⁶ and F⁺⁶ ions with energy of 200 MeV/a.e.m. are reported. The obtained results are analyzed.