Experiments to study the confinement of a target plasma in a magnetic trap with inverse plugs and circular multipole walls

In order to neutralize beams of high-energy negative ions, it is convenient to use a plasma target. It is necessary to confine a target plasma within a magnetic trap. It is of importance to restrict the escape of a plasma from the inlet and outlet holes in the target. It is proposed to confine a target plasma in a magnetic trap with a weak longitudinal field with circular multipole walls and with inverse plugs (with an inverse field). Experiments in which a plasma is confined in an axisymmetric trap of this type with one double inverse plug, which restricts longitudinal plasma outflow, are described. A cathode pellet emitting accelerated electrons for plasma production by gas ionization is installed at the opposite end face of the trap on the axis. The experiment shows that inverse plugs suppress strongly the plasma outflow into the end-face hole. The mechanism of this suppression is revealed. It is found that electrons are confined within a trap predominantly by magnetic fields.