Ion Sources for Use in Research and Low Energy Accelerators

Brief description of design and performance of some ion sources, for use in research and in different types of low energy accelerators, is given. A brief elaboration is also made for the concepts underlying the formation and the extraction of ion beams. It is the main objective of this paper to give an overview of the wide range of diverse plasma generation methods and plasma sources and highlights the broad spectrum of plasma properties which, in turn, lead to a wide range of diverse technological and technical applications.