Ion bunches have been suggested as means to heat matter to the warm dense matter, or strongly coupled plasma regime (Temperature ~; 0.1 to 10 eV). For a K+ beam at 0.4 MeV, ~;1 J/cm2 is required to reach 1 eV in solid Aluminum. Also the pulse duration must be short (<~; 2 ns) to avoid hydrodynamic cooling. A spot radius ~;0.5 mm, and current ~;10 A are thus need to reach this flux level and pulse duration. Currents will be achieved by compressing the beam axially with an IBM. To further increase the beam intensity on target, an 8T field solenoid, filled with beam neutralizing plasma will be used. A plasma is injected from filtered cathodic arc plasma sources. The Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment (NDCX-1) at LBNL is intended to test these neutralized focusing techniques with the goal of reaching target temperatures ~;0.5 eV. Experimental measurements including the on axis plasma density distribution and, the beam density distribution, will be presented.

The Heavy-Ion Fusion Sciences Virtual National Laboratory is pursuing an approach to target heating experiments in the Warm Dense Matter regime, using space-charge-dominated ion beams that are simultaneously longitudinally bunched and transversely focused. Axial compression leading to ~;100X current amplification and simultaneous radial focusing have led to encouraging energy deposition approaching, but still short of, the intensities required for eV-range target heating experiments. We present measurements from the Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment to reach the necessary higher beam intensities, including: (1) axial compression and radial focusing; (2) spatial and temporal distribution of energy deposition at the target plane; and (3) centroid motion of the beam spot through the pulse.