JAEA, Ibaraki
KEK, Tsukuba
Tokai Radioactive Ion Accelerator Complex (TRIAC) is an ISOL-based radioactive nuclear beam (RNB) facility, connected to the ISOL in the tandem accelerator at Tokai site of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). At JAEA-tandem accelerator facility, we can produce radioactive nuclei by means of proton induced uranium fission, heavy ion fusion or transfer reaction. Since TRIAC was opened for use in 2005, we have provided RNBs of fission products and 8Li. For the production of 8Li, we chose 13C (7Li, 8Li) neutron transfer reaction by 7Li primary beam and a 99% enriched 13C sintered disk target. The release time of Li ions from the 13C sintered target was measured to be 3.2 s. We are developing the RNB of 9Li (T1/2=178 ms) but the long release time caused a significant loss of the beam intensity. A boron nitride target which has fast release of Li is developed for 9Li beam with intensity of 104 ions/s after separation by JAEA-ISOL.
INFN/LNL, Legnaro
Padova University/Dept. Mech. Eng., Padova
Padova University/Dept. Chem., Padova
Pavia University/Dept. Chem., Pavia
Trento University/Dept. Mech. Eng., Trento
INFN/BO, Bologna
SPES is a facility to be built at National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN laboratory, Legnaro, Italy) intended to provide intense neutron-rich Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs) directly hitting a UCx target with a proton beam of 40 MeV and 0.2 mA; RIBs will be produced according to the ISOL technique and the new idea that characterize the SPES project is the design of the production target: we propose a target configuration capable to keep high the number of fissions, low the power deposition and fast the release of the produced isotopes. In this work we will present the recent results on the R&D activities regarding the multi-foil direct UCx target.
RIKEN, Wako, Saitama
In 2008, the RIKEN RI-Beam Factory (RIBF) succeeded in providing heavy ion beams of 48Ca and 238U with 170 particle-nano-ampere and 0.4 particle-nano-ampere, respectively, at an energy of 345 MeV/u. The transmission efficiency through the accelerator chain has been signifcantly improved owing to the continuous efforts paid since the first beam in 2006. From the operational point of view, however, the intensity of the uranium beam should be much increased. We have, therefore, constructed a superconducting ECR ion source which is capable of the microwave power of 28 GHz. In order to reduce the space-charge effects, the ion source was installed on the high-voltage terminal of the Cockcroft-Walton pre-injector, where the beam from the source will be directly injected into the heavy-ion linac by skipping the RFQ pre-injector. The test of the ion source on the platform has started recently with an existing microwave source of 18 GHz. This pre-injector will be available in October 2009. We will show further upgrade plan of constructing an alternative injector for the RIBF, consisting of the superconducting ECR ion source, an RFQ, and three DTL tanks. An RFQ linac, which has been originally developed for the ion-implantation application will be reused for the new injector. Modification of the RFQ as well as the design study of the DTL are under progress. The new injector, which will be ready in FY2010, aims at independent operation of the RIBF experiments and super-heavy element synthesis.
ANU, Canberra
Electrostatic accelerator laboratories were the nurseries for the heavy ion physics research of today and the accelerators this research needed. The first conference, of what has evolved into the HIAT series, was the "International Conference on the Technology of Electrostatic Accelerators" hosted by the Daresbury Laboratory in 1973. While some of the founding labs of this series have ceased doing accelerator based physics, electrostatic accelerators still inject beams into present day heavy ion boosters. Electrostatic accelerators also continue to provide beams for nuclear and applied physics in laboratories with and without boosters. The development of electrostatic accelerators remains active and will continue in the next few years. The improvements have been spurred by injection beam requirements of boosters as well as the special transmission and stability needs of accelerator mass spectrometry. The survey of the electrostatic accelerator community presented here, has identified a broad range of improvements and uses as well as future technical directions for electrostatic accelerators.
IFIN-HH, Magurele-Bucharest
The Bucharest FN Tandem Accelerator was put in operation in 1973 and upgraded a first time in 1983 to 9 MV. In the period 2006-2009 a second program of the tandem upgrade was performed aiming to transform this accelerator in a modern and versatile facility for atomic and nuclear physics studies as well as for different applications using accelerated ion beams. The upgrade was achieved by replacing the main components of the tandem by new ones and by adding new components. The old HVEC belt of the Van de Graaff generator was replaced by a "Pelletron" system, the old inclined field stainless steel electrodes accelerator tubes were replaced by titanium spiral field tubes, the old HICONEX 834 sputter negative ion source was replaced by a new SNICS II sputter source and all old electronic equipment including RMN and Hall probe gauss meters as well as low voltage and high voltage power supplies for the magnets, lenses and ion sources were replaced by new ones. The new equipment added to the tandem consists of a helium negative ion source, a new injector based on a multi-cathode ion source 40 MC-SNICS II for AMS applications, a new GVM, a new pulsing system in the millisecond range and a new chopper and bunching system for pulsing the ion beam in the nanosecond range. Now the tandem is currently operated in very stable conditions up to 9 MV on a basis of about 4000 hours/year accelerating a broad range of ion species.
BARC, Mumbai
The 14 UD Pelletron Accelerator Facility at Mumbai has recently completed two decades of successful operation. The accelerator is mainly used for basic research in the fields of nuclear, atomic and condensed matter physics as well as material science. The application areas include accelerator mass spectrometry, production of track-etch membranes, radioisotopes production, radiation damage studies and secondary neutron production for cross section measurement etc. Over the years, a number of developmental activities have been carried out in-house that have helped in improving the overall performance and uptime of the accelerator and also made possible to initiate variety of application oriented programmes. Recently, a superconducting LINAC booster has been fully commissioned to provide beams up to A~60 region with E~5 MeV/A. As part of Facility augmentation program, it is planned to have an alternate injector system to the LINAC booster, consisting of 18 GHz superconducting ECR ion source, 75 MHz room temperature RFQ linac and superconducting low-beta resonator cavities. The development of an alternate injector will further enhance the utilization capability of LINAC by covering heavier mass range up to Uranium. The ECR source is being configured jointly with M/s Pantechnik, France, which will deliver a variety of ion beams with high charge states up to 238U34+. This paper will provide detailed presentation of developments being carried out at this facility.
LBNL, Berkeley
Notre Dame University, Notre Dame
Funding: This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.
The DIANA project (Dakota Ion Accelerators for Nuclear Astrophysics) is a collaboration between the University of Notre Dame, University of North Carolina, Western Michigan University, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to build a nuclear astrophysics accelerator facility 1.4 km below ground. DIANA is part of the US proposal DUSEL (Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory) to establish a crossdisciplinary underground laboratory in the former gold mine of Homestake in South Dakota, USA. DIANA would consist of two high-current accelerators, a 30 to 400 kV variable, high-voltage platform, and a second, dynamitron accelerator with a voltage range of 350 kV to 3 MV. As a unique feature, both accelerators are planned to be equipped with either high-current microwave ion sources or multi-charged ECR ion sources producing ions from protons to oxygen. Electrostatic quadrupole transport elements will be incorporated in the dynamitron high voltage column. Compared to current astrophysics facilities, DIANA could increase the available beam densities on target by magnitudes: up to 100 mA on the low energy accelerator and several mA on the high energy accelerator. An integral part of the DIANA project is the development of a high-density super-sonic gas-jet target which can handle these anticipated beam powers. The paper will explain the main components of the DIANA accelerators and their beam transport lines and will discuss related technical challenges.
UTTAC University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba
KEK/RSC, Tsukuba
Tokyo University/MALT, Tokyo
Funding: Work supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research Programs of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.
The 12UD Pelletron tandem accelerator was installed at the University of Tsukuba in 1975. In recent years, the main research field of the 12UD Pelletron tandem accelerator has shifted to accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) research from nuclear physics. AMS is an ultrasensitive technique for the study of long-lived radioisotopes, and stable isotopes at very low abundances. The high terminal voltage is an advantage in the detection of heavy radioisotopes. It is important for sensitive measurements of heavy radioisotopes that background interference of their stable isobars are suppressed by AMS measurements. With the multi-nuclide AMS system at the University of Tsukuba (Tsukuba AMS system), we are able to measure long-lived radioisotopes of 14C, 26Al, 36Cl and 129I by employing a molecular pilot beam method that stabilize the terminal voltage with 0.1% accuracy. Much progress has been made in the development of new AMS techniques for the Tsukuba AMS system. As for 36Cl AMS, 36Cl9+ at 100 MeV is used for AMS measurements. The standard deviation of the fluctuation is typically ± 2%, and the machine background level of 36Cl/Cl is lower than 1 × 10-15. This report presents the overview and progress of the Tsukuba AMS system.
GANIL, Caen
The Grand Accélérateur National d’Ions Lourds (GANIL) facility (Caen, France) is dedicated to the acceleration of heavy ion beams for nuclear physics, atomic physics, radiobiology and material irradiation. The production of stable and radioactive ion beams for nuclear physics studies represents the main part of the activity. Two complementary methods are used for exotic beam production: the Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL, the SPIRAL1 facility) and the In-Flight Separation techniques (IFS). SPIRAL1, the ISOL facility, is running since 2001, producing and post-accelerating radioactive ion beams. The running modes of the accelerators are recalled as well as a review of the operation from 2001 to 2008. A point is done on the way we managed the high intensity ion beam transport issues and constraints which allows the exotic beam production improvement.
Osaka University/RCNP, Osaka
The Research Center for Nuclear Physics (RCNP) cyclotron cascade system has been operated to provide high quality beams for various experiments. In order to increase the physics opportunities, the Azimuthally Varying Field (AVF) cyclotron facility was upgraded recently. A flat-topping system and an 18-GHz superconducting Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion source were introduced to improve the beam’s quality and intensity. A new beam line was installed to diagnose the characteristics of the beam to be injected into the ring cyclotron and to bypass the ring cyclotron and directly transport low energy beams from the AVF cyclotron to experimental halls. A separator is equipped to provide RI beams produced by fusion reactions at low energy and by projectile fragmentations at high energy. Development has continued to realize the designed performance of these systems.
JYFL, Jyväskylä
Funding: This work has been supported by the Academy of Finland under the Finnish Centre of Excellence Programme 2006-2011 (Nuclear and Accelerator Based Physics Programme at JYFL).
The accelerator based experiments at JYFL (University of Jyväskylä, Department of Physics) range from basic research in nuclear physics to industrial applications. A substantial share of the beam time hours is allocated for heavy ion beam cocktails, used for irradiation tests of electronics. Producing the required ion beam cocktails has required active development of the JYFL ECR ion sources. This work is briefly discussed together with the implications of the beam cocktail campaign to the beam time allocation procedure. The JYFL ion source group has conducted experiments on plasma physics of ECR ion sources including plasma potential and time-resolved bremsstrahlung measurements, for example. The plasma physics experiments are discussed from the point of view of beam cocktail development.
JYFL, Jyväskylä
Funding: This work has been supported by the Academy of Finland under the Finnish Centre of Excellence Programme 2006-2011 (Nuclear and Accelerator Based Physics Programme at JYFL).
The activities of the JYFL ion source group cover the development of metal ion beams, improvement of beam transmission and studies of Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS) plasma parameters. The development of metal ion beams is one of the most important areas in the accelerator technology. The low energy beam injection for K-130 cyclotron is also studied in order to improve its beam transmission. It has been noticed that the accelerated beam intensity after the cyclotron does not increase with the intensity extracted from the JYFL 14 GHz ECR ion source, which indicates that the beam transmission efficiency decreases remarkably as a function of beam intensity. Three possible explanations have been found: 1) the extraction of the JYFL 14 GHz ECRIS is not optimized for high intensity ion beams, 2) the solenoid focusing in the injection line causes degradation of beam quality and 3) the focusing properties of the dipoles (analysing magnets) are not adequate. In many cases a hollow beam structure is generated while the origin of hollowness remains unknown.
LBNL, Berkeley
Funding: This work was supported by the Director, Office of Energy Research, Office of High Energy and Nuclear Physics, Nuclear Physics Division of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE AC03-76SF00098.
The development of the superconducting 28 GHz ECR ion source VENUS at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has pioneered high field superconducting ECR ion sources and opened a path to a new generation of heavy ion accelerators. Because of the success of the VENUS ECR ion source, superconducting 28 GHz ECR ion sources are now key components for proposed radioactive ion beam facilities. This paper will review the recent ion source development program for the VENUS source with a particular focus on the production of high intensity uranium beams. In addition, the paper will discuss a new R&D program started at LBNL to develop ECR ion sources utilizing frequencies higher than 28 GHz. This program addresses the demand for further increases of ion beam intensities for future radioactive ion beam facilities. The most critical technical development required for this new generation of sources is the high-field superconducting magnet system. For instance, the magnetic field strengths necessary for 56 GHz operation produce a peak field in the magnet coils of 12-14 T, requiring new superconductor material such as Nb3Sn. LBNL has recently concluded a conceptual, comparative design analysis of different coil configurations in terms of magnetic performance and has developed a structural support concept compatible with the preferred magnetic design solution. This design effort concludes that a sextupole-in-solenoid ECR magnet structure (VENUS type) is feasible with present Nb3Sn technology, but that an inverted geometry (solenoid-in sextupole) exceeds the capability of Nb3Sn superconductors and can be ruled out as candidate for a 56 GHz ECR ion source.
Michigan University/MIBL, Ann Arbor
The Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory (MIBL) at the University of Michigan has instruments equipped with ion sources capable of generating a wide variety of ions. The 1.7-MV Tandem accelerator can operate with three different sources: a Torvis source, a Duoplasmatron source and a Sputter source. The 400-kV ion implanter is equipped with a CHORDIS source that can operate in three different modes (gas, sputter, and oven) and is capable of producing ion beams for most of the elements in the periodic table. In this work, we discuss the principle of operation of each source, their performances and the latest applications and projects conducted at MIBL using these sources.
NEM, Tokyo
The 1.7 MV tandem accelerator RAPID (Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopic Analyzer with Particle Induced X-ray Emission and Ion Implantation Devices), the University of Tokyo has been dedicated to various scientific and engineering studies in a wide range of fields by the ion beam analysis availability, including RBS (Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy), PIXE (Particle induced X-ray emission) and ion implantation. Total accelerator operation time amounted 9,358 hours since its installation with the highest annual operation time recorded in 2007. RAPID-PIXE analysis system has been contributed to many environmental studies by analyzing elemental composition of water and sediments samples. It is also applied to the analysis of several cultural heritages such as a works of gilded frame from Renaissance in Italy. Recently, the low level ion irradiation system was also developed and applied for the study of CR-39 track detector with proton beam.
GANIL, Caen
In order to provide several kilowatt stable ion beams for radioactive ion beam production, the Grand Accélérateur National d’Ions Lourds (GANIL) upgraded several devices. A High Intensity Transport (THI) safety system has also been studied in 1995 and validated in 1998. By monitoring beam losses all along the cyclotrons and lines and shutting down the beam in case of problem, this system allows accelerating and sending onto targets up to 6kW power beams (instead of 400W in standard mode). Beam losses diagnostics, the associated electronics and software will be depicted (principle, location) as well as the tuning method of the machine to reach step by step the needed power.
JINR, Dubna
Accelerated 12C ion beams are effectively used for cancer treatment at various medical centers, in particular to treat patients with radio resistant tumors. On the other hand, positron emission tomography is the most effective way of tumor diagnostics. The intensive 11C ion beam could allow both these advantages to be combined. It could be used both for cancer treatment and for on-line positron emission tomography. Formation of a primary radioactive 11C6+ ion beam with the intensity of 1010-1011 pps from the ion source may allow cancer treatment and on-line dose verification. 11C isotope is produced in the nuclear reaction 14N (p,α)11C using the gas target chamber irradiated by a proton beam. If the nitrogen target chamber contains about 5% of hydrogen, approximately 1014 methane molecules 11CH4 can be produced each 20 minutes. The separated radioactive methane can be loaded into an ion source. The methodology and technique of formation of high-intensity radioactive carbon beams were tested in the JINR electron string ion source (ESIS) Krion-2 using usual non radioactive methane. The measured conversion efficiency of methane molecules to carbon ions appeared to be rather high, 15 % for C6+ ions and 25% for C4+ ions. The developed technique of pulsed methane loading and the experimentally obtained conversion efficiency permit obtaining primary radioactive 11C6+ beams at the intensity of 1010 -1011 pps and performing cancer treatment and online dose verification.
Osaka Univ., Suita
An electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) has been developing long time and their performance is still extending at present. Recently, they are not only used in producing multi-charged ions, but also molecules and cluster ions. A new type of ion source with a wide operation window is expected for various uses. We developed a novel magnetic field configuration ECRIS. The magnetic field configuration is constructed by a pair of comb-shaped magnetic field by all permanent magnets and has opposite polarity each other with ring-magnets. This magnetic configuration suppresses the loss due to E×B drift, and then plasma confinement is enhanced. We conduct preliminary extracting and forming large bore ion beam from this source. We will make this source a part of tandem type ion source for the first stage. Broad ion beams extracted from the first stage and transfer like a shower to plasma generated by the second stage. We hope to realize a device which has a very wide range operation window in a single device to produce many kinds of ion beams. We try to control plasma parameters by multiply frequency microwaves for broad ion beam extraction. It is found that plasma and beam can be controllable on spatial profiles beyond wide operation window of plasma parameters. We investigated feasibility of the device which has wide range operation window in a single device to produce many kinds of ion beams as like universal source based on ECRIS.
NSC/KIPT, Kharkov
New properties of vacuum discharges in magnetic field with unconventional discharge gaps at low pressure up to high vacuum are briefly described. Both single- and multi-charge ion sources may be developed on basis of such new discharge modes. Such ion sources may have advantages in comparison with conventional ones. The main advantages are the long lifetime due to the absence of filaments and arc spots, high energy and gas efficiency due to high plasma electron temperature. The development of the discharge research and recent results are discussed.
INFN/LNL, Legnaro
ITEP, Moscow
Singly charged ion sources can easily surpass the 1 kW beam power, as in TRIPS (H+, 60 mA, 80 kV, now installed at LNL) or in NIO1 (H-, 130 mA distributed into 9 beamlets, 60 kV, a project of RFX and INFN-LNL). Beam diagnostic constitutes an important instrument in the high current source development. Even if calorimetric and optical beam profile monitors become possible, still a phase space plot of the beam will be the most useful tool for validation of extraction simulation and for input of subsequent beam transport optimization. Improvements in extraction beam simulations are briefly reported, and effect of space charge neutralization is discussed. Since preliminary design of the traditional two moving slit beam emittance meter show problems with slit deformations and tolerances and with secondary emission, an Allison scanner was chosen with the advantages: only one movement is needed; data acquisition is serial and signal can have an adequate suppression of secondary electrons. The design of a compact Allison scanner head is discussed in detail, showing: 1) the parameter optimization; 2) the segmented construction of electrodes. Experimental commissioning at lower power seems advisable.
TU Dresden, Dresden
DREEBIT, Dresden
Siemens AG, Erlangen
Funding: Work supported by the EFRE fund of the EU and by the Freistaat Sachsen (Project Nos. 12321/2000 and 12184/2000) and Siemens AG.
The technical performance of ion sources of the Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) type has substantially improved during the last years. This is demonstrated by proof-of-principle experiments which have been done using a room temperature EBIS, a so-called Dresden EBIS-A, which has been in use for several years. A new superconducting EBIS, a so-called Dresden EBIS-SC, has been taken into operation. With the expected higher beam intensities the Dresden EBIS-SC will offer a compact and low-cost solution for applications in particle therapy and will be applicable for synchrotron based solutions (single- or multi-turn injection) as well as other accelerator schemes. It is shown that the introduction of the Dresden EBIS-SC will simplify the injection beam line of medical accelerator facilities.
CIAE, Beijing
Guangxi University, Nanning
Funding: Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (10576040).
A new method was developed for AMS measurement of 126Sn. Major features of the method include the use of SnF2 as target material, the selection of SnF3- molecular ions for extraction form from the target, and the transmission of 126Sn beam current. A sensitivity of (1.92±1.13)×10-10 (126Sn/Sn) has been reached by measuring a blank sample.