Self-consistent modeling of beam-plasma interaction in the charge breeding optimization process.

The slowing down and capture by a plasma of externally injected 1+ ions, as a consequence of very frequent elastic Coulomb collisions, is the main mechanism involved in the charge breeding process based on electron cyclotron resonance ion sources. The Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare ion source group has been undertaking an intense activity on numerical simulations of the beam-plasma interaction, developing a code that has been proven to be very effective in reproducing several experimental results of charge breeding of light and heavy ions. This contribution will present the progress made in the development of the numerical code, focusing the attention on the latest simulations of charge breeding of Rb1+ ions employing a self-consistent plasma target model. The effect of the real plasmoid/halo structure on the capture process will be underlined, as well as the influence of different plasma excitation frequencies.