ABSTRACT
Intense beams of fast ions in strong magnetic fields are used in a considerable number of physical, experimental and stationary set-ups; for example, electromagnetic isotope separators and magnetic traps for plasma with external injection of fast ions. The efficiency of using ion beams in such systems is determined to a large extent by phenomena connected with the neutralization of the beam space charge. The root cause of the violation of space charge compensation in the ion beam is the discharge oscillations in the ion source. The ion beam is produced by extracting ions from the discharge by a strong electric field; it then propagates perpendicularly to the magnetic field lines. The chapter deals with the beam plasma subject to instabilities. These instabilities violate the neutralization of the space charge of the beam, that is, they de-focus the beam and spoil the process of isotope separation.
