Dependence of the transverse dynamics of the plasma electrons in the ion focus regime on the ratio of the radius of a relativistic electron beam to the radius of the ion channel

A study is made of the effect of the magnetic self-field of a relativistic electron beam propagating in the ion focus regime on the transverse dynamics of plasma electrons. For Gaussian radial profiles of the beam and the ion density in the channel, the maximum deviation of the plasma electrons from the axis of the beam-plasma system is determined as a function of the space-charge neutralization fraction, the ratio of the characteristic beam radius to the channel radius, and the net beam current.