PLASMA LENS INVESTIGATION FOR THE HEAVY ION ACCELERATOR AT ITEP

The problem of transportation and focusing of an intense heavy-ion beam is an important issue for heavy ion driven inertial confinement fusion and for investigating high energy densities in matter produced by heavy ion beams. Application of a plasma lens to this area of research has a number of essential advantages in comparison with the traditional system on the basis of quadruple lenses. The description of the plasma lens and the results of the first experiments with this lens, designed for the heavy ion accelerator-accumulator facility TWAC- ITEP, are reported.