Pinched‐beam ion‐diode scaling on the Aurora pulser

A pinched‐beam ion diode has been operated on the Aurora pulser in positive polarity at impedances ranging from 10 to 35 Ω. Ion generation efficiencies of 20% were observed with ion energies ranging from 2.5 to 5 MeV. The ion current scaled inversely with the anode‐cathode gap, and a peak value of 65 kA was measured for the smallest gap. A plasma erosion switch was used to decrease prepulse voltage and gap closure in the diode.