Simulations of ion beams for NDCX-II

NDCX-II, the second neutralized drift compression experiment, is a moderate energy, high current accelerator designed to drive targets for warm dense matter and IFE-relevant energy coupling studies, and to serve as a testbed for high current accelerator physics. As part of the design process, studies were carried out to assess the sensitivities of the accelerator to errors, and to further optimize the design in concert with the evolving pulsed power engineering. The Warp code was used to carry out detailed simulations in both axisymmetric and full 3-D geometry. Ensembles of simulations were carried out to characterize the effects of errors, such as timing jitter and noise on the accelerator waveforms, noise on the source waveform, and solenoid and source offsets. In some cases, the ensemble studies resulted in better designs, revealing operating points with improved performance and showing possible means for further improvement. These studies also revealed a new non-paraxial effect of the final focus solenoid on the beam, which must be taken into account in designing an optimal final focusing system.