Numerical simulation of the Mirrortron

Summary form only given, as follows. The Mirrortron is studied using the 2-1/2 D cylindrical PIC (particle-in-cell) code GYMNOS. The Mirrortron takes advantage of large transient potentials generated in a mirror cell in order to accelerate and focus an ion beam. Particular attention is given to the behavior of the chamber plasma as an external coil produces a substantial change in the local axial magnetic field. How these changes produce both accelerating and focusing electrostatic fields was investigated. In addition, effects produced by the propagation of a finite-length space-charge dominated ion beam during the pulse were considered. At present GYMNOS is electrostatic and magnetostatic: consideration of magnetoinductive effects will occur with the implementation of a Darwin field model