Compact steady-state and high-flux Falcon ion source for tests of plasma-facing materials

This paper describes the design and operation of the Falcon ion source. It is based on conventional design of anode layer thrusters. This ion source is a versatile, compact, affordable, and highly functional in the research field of the fusion materials. The reversed magnetic field configuration of the source allows precise focusing of the ion beam into small spot of ≈3 mm and also provides the limited capabilities for impurity mass-separation. As the result, the source generates steady-state ion beam, which irradiates surface with high heat (0.3 – 21 MW m⁻²) and particle fluxes (4 × 10²¹ – 3 × 10²³ m⁻²s⁻¹), which approaches the upper limit for the flux range expected in ITER.