Status report on the ISAC radioactive ion beam facility

Abstract

The first phase of the ISAC radioactive ion beam facility at TRIUMF is well under way. The ISAC facility includes: a new building with 5000 m2 of floor space, a beam line with adequate shielding for up to 100 μA protons at 500 MeV from the TRIUMF H− cyclotron. Due to the relatively low intensities of some of the radioactive species, continuous (cw) operation of the accelerator is required. The linear accelerator is composed of a 36 MHz split-ring RFQ and five interdigital H-type structures, operating at 106 MHz. The first radioactive ion beams were produced in the fall of 1998 and now the experimental program has started. A novel approach for the target station permits the operation of the ISOL target up to 100 μA. During the fall 1999, a prototype target was tested at 100 μA for temperature distribution. Last April we received funding for the second phase of ISAC. This funding includes an extension of the accelerator which will be able to deliver RIB up to mass 150 at energies up to 6.5 MeV/nucleon and t...