A track detector technique for determining ion source emission profiles

Abstract

Solid state nuclear track detectors have been used to directly measure for an ion source the beam emission cross sections along the ion beam trajectory. Results are demonstrated for an ion source of the surface ionization type using solid source materials to obtain 147Sm or 6Li isotopes. Cellulose nitrate LR 115 was used as the detector to register the alpha tracks from the radioactive decay of the implanted 147Sm and from the 6Li (n, α) reaction induced by thermal neutrons in a nuclear reactor.