ECR ion sources and microwave discharge ion sources at LNS: present status and perspectives

Abstract

Summary form only given, as follows. The most important developments in the field of ion sources at INFN-LNS, Catania, have been based on the generation of warm plasmas by means of microwaves at different frequencies. Indeed, we have built three different 2.45 GHz microwave discharge ion sources for different purposes, ranging from high efficiency ionization of light ions to high current proton beams production. A fourth multi-purpose compact 2.45 GHz microwave discharge sources, built with permanent magnets, is under construction. Different Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources (ECRIS) have been designed and built, at the operating frequency of 10, 14, 18 and 28 GHz as well as at intermediate frequency by means of a traveling wave tube microwave amplifier. The design of an innovative source to be operated at 28 GHz, named GyroSERSE, has been defined, with the aim to provide mA beams of highly charged heavy ions. The description of the different methods and tasks will be carried out, along with the preliminary results of the tests carried out with an hybrid ion source, consisting of a laser-generated plasma source coupled to the SERSE high performance ECRIS.