Research on ultralow-energy high-flux ion beam propagation for ground-based simulation of space low-energy particle beam

The space-charge effect induces radial divergence during the propagation of ultralow-energy, high-flux ion beams, posing a critical challenge for ground-based simulation of low-energy particle beams in very low Earth orbit and suborbital environments. To address it, a beam propagation system consisting of six electrodes was designed to transport ultralow-energy ion beams. Counteraction strategies for the space-charge effect were investigated employing the IBSimu (Ion Beam Simulation) code. Although the space-charge compensation strategy can effectively collimate the ion beam and improve beam transmission efficiency, it has an inherent limitation in practical engineering applications. As an alternative, we employed an axially Gaussian-distributed magnetic field to “actively counteract” the space-charge effect. It is found that although the magnetic confinement strategy broadens the ion beam energy spectrum, it exhibits greater engineering feasibility for the ultralow-energy high-flux ion beam. This study demonstrates the utility of Lorentz force-based beam control in ultralow-energy regimes and provides an engineering reference for similar devices.