Low Energy Beam Transport Research Articles

Development of an ion beam analyzing system for the KBSI heavy-ion accelerator.

The Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) has been developing a heavy ion accelerator system to accelerate high current, multi-charge state ions produced by a 28 GHz superconducting electron cyclotron ion source. A beam analyzing system as a part of the low energy beam transport apparatus was developed to select charged particles with desirable charge states from the ion beams. The desired species of ion, which is generated and extracted from the ECR ion source including various ion particles, can be selected by 90° dipole electromagnet. Due to the non-symmetrical structure in the coil as well as the non-linear permeability of the yoke material coil, a three dimensional analysis was carried out to confirm the design parameters. In this paper, we present the experimental results obtained as result of an analysis of KBSI accelerator. The effectiveness of beam selection was confirmed during the test of the analyzing system by injecting an ion beam from an ECR ion source.

Status of the SPIRAL2 injector commissioning.

The SPIRAL2 injector, installed in its tunnel, is currently under commissioning at GANIL, Caen, France. The injector is composed of two low energy beam transport lines: one is dedicated to the light ion beam production, the other to the heavy ions. The first light ion beam, created by a 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source, has been successfully produced in December 2014. The first beam of the PHOENIX V2 18 GHz heavy ion source was analyzed on 10 July 2015. A status of the SPIRAL2 injector commissioning is given. An upgrade of the heavy ion source, named PHOENIX V3 aimed to replace the V2, is presented. The new version features a doubled plasma chamber volume and the high charge state beam intensity is expected to increase by a factor of 1.5 to 2 up to the mass ∼50. A status of its assembly is proposed.

Preliminary design of a RFQ direct injection scheme for the IsoDAR high intensity H2+ cyclotron

IsoDAR (Isotope Decay-At-Rest) is a novel experiment designed to measure neutrino oscillations through ν̄(e) disappearance, thus providing a definitive search for sterile neutrinos. In order to generate the necessary anti-neutrino flux, a high intensity primary proton beam is needed. In IsoDAR, H2(+) is accelerated and is stripped into protons just before the target, to overcome space charge issues at injection. As part of the design, we have refined an old proposal to use a RFQ to axially inject bunched H2(+) ions into the driver cyclotron. This method has several advantages over a classical low energy beam transport (LEBT) design: (1) The bunching efficiency is higher than for the previously considered two-gap buncher and thus the overall injection efficiency is higher. This relaxes the constraints on the H2(+) current required from the ion source. (2) The overall length of the LEBT can be reduced. (3) The RFQ can also accelerate the ions. This enables the ion source platform high voltage to be reduced from 70 kV to 15 kV, making underground installation easier. We are presenting the preliminary RFQ design parameters and first beam dynamics simulations from the ion source to the spiral inflector entrance.

Developments of fast emittance monitors for ion sources at RCNP.

Recently, several developments of low energy beam transport line and its beam diagnostic systems have been performed to improve the injection efficiency of ion beam to azimuthally varying field cyclotron at Research Center for Nuclear Physics, Osaka University. One of those is the fast emittance monitor which can measure within several seconds for the efficient beam development and a Pepper-Pot Emittance Monitor (PPEM) has been developed. The PPEM consists of pepper-pot mask, multichannel plate, fluorescent screen, mirror, and CCD camera. The CCD image is taken via IEEE1394b to a personal computer and analyzed immediately and frequently, and then real time measurement with about 2 Hz has been achieved.

Measurement of ion species in high current ECR H⁺/D⁺ ion source for IFMIF (International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility).

Ion species ratio of high current positive hydrogen/deuterium ion beams extracted from an electron-cyclotron-resonance ion source for International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility accelerator was measured by the Doppler shift Balmer-α line spectroscopy. The proton (H(+)) ratio at the middle of the low energy beam transport reached 80% at the hydrogen ion beam extraction of 100 keV/160 mA and the deuteron (D(+)) ratio reached 75% at the deuterium ion beam extraction of 100 keV/113 mA. It is found that the H(+) ratio measured by the spectroscopy gives lower than that derived from the phase-space diagram measured by an Allison scanner type emittance monitor. The H(+)/D(+) ratio estimated by the emittance monitor was more than 90% at those extraction currents.

First results of 28 GHz superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source for KBSI accelerator.

The 28 GHz superconducting electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source has been developed to produce a high current heavy ion for the linear accelerator at KBSI (Korea Basic Science Institute). The objective of this study is to generate fast neutrons with a proton target via a p(Li,n)Be reaction. The design and fabrication of the essential components of the ECR ion source, which include a superconducting magnet with a liquid helium re-condensed cryostat and a 10 kW high-power microwave, were completed. The waveguide components were connected with a plasma chamber including a gas supply system. The plasma chamber was inserted into the warm bore of the superconducting magnet. A high voltage system was also installed for the ion beam extraction. After the installation of the ECR ion source, we reported the results for ECR plasma ignition at ECRIS 2014 in Russia. Following plasma ignition, we successfully extracted multi-charged ions and obtained the first results in terms of ion beam spectra from various species. This was verified by a beam diagnostic system for a low energy beam transport system. In this article, we present the first results and report on the current status of the KBSI accelerator project.

Beam simulation studies of ECR beam extraction and low energy beam transport for FRIB.

To meet the beam power requirements of 400 kW at the fragmentation target for facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), simultaneous acceleration of two-charge states should be used for heavier ions. These intense multi-charged ion beams will be produced by a 28 GHz electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source at a high voltage of 35 kV. After extraction, the ion beam will be pre-accelerated to 12 keV/u with a 50 kV platform, transported down to an achromatic charge state selection (CSS) system followed by a vertical transport line, and then injected into a radio frequency quadrupole accelerator. The TRACK code developed at ANL is used to perform the simulations of the ECR beam extraction and low energy beam transport for FRIB. In this study, we include the magnetic field of ECR ion source into simulations. Different initial beam conditions as well as different space charge neutralization levels are tested for the ECR beamline. The beam loss in CSS system and the corresponding protective measures are discussed. The detailed results about the beam dynamic simulation and beam loss in CSS system will be presented in this paper.

A high intensity H2+ multicusp ion source for the isotope decay-at-rest experiment, IsoDAR

The Isotope Decay-At-Rest (IsoDAR) experimental program aims to decisively test the sterile neutrino hypothesis. In essence, it is a novel cyclotron based neutrino factory that will improve the frontiers in both high-intensity cyclotrons and electron flavor anti-neutrino sources. By using a source in which the usual H(-) ions are replaced with the more tightly bound H2(+) ions, we can negate the effects of Lorentz stripping in a cyclotron, reduce the overall perveance due to the space-charge effect, and deliver twice the number of protons per nuclei on target. To produce the H2(+), we are currently developing a dedicated multicusp ion source, MIST-1 (generation-1 Multicusp Ion Source Technologies at MIT), and a low-energy beam transport system for the IsoDAR cyclotron. This will increase the overall H2(+) current leading up to the cyclotron and improve the emittance of the beam injected into the cyclotron.

Prototyping of beam position monitor for medium energy beam transport section of RAON heavy ion accelerator

A heavy ion accelerator, RAON is going to be built by Rare Isotope Science Project in Korea. Its target is to accelerate various stable ions such as uranium, proton, and xenon from electron cyclotron resonance ion source and some rare isotopes from isotope separation on-line. The beam shaping, charge selection, and modulation should be applied to the ions from these ion sources because RAON adopts a superconducting linear accelerator structure for beam acceleration. For such treatment, low energy beam transport, radio frequency quadrupole, and medium energy beam transport (MEBT) will be installed in injector part of RAON accelerator. Recently, development of a prototype of stripline beam position monitor (BPM) to measure the position of ion beams in MEBT section is under way. In this presentation, design of stripline, electromagnetic (EM) simulation results, and RF measurement test results obtained from the prototyped BPM will be described.

Simulation study of LEBT for transversely coupled beam from an ECR ion source.

A Low-Energy intense-highly charged ion Accelerator Facility (LEAF) program has been launched at Institute of Modern Physics. This accelerator facility consists of a superconducting Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion source, a Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) system, and a Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ). It is especially of interest for the extracted ion beam from the ECR ion source, which is transversely coupled, and this property will significantly affect the beam transmission in the LEBT line and the matching with the downstream RFQ. In the beam transport design of LEAF, beam decoupling in the LEBT is considered to lower down the projection emittances and the feasibility of the design has been verified by beam simulation with a transversely coupled beam from the ECR ion source.

Upgrade of the beam extraction system of the GTS-LHC electron cyclotron resonance ion source at CERN.

Linac3 is the first accelerator in the heavy ion injector chain of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), providing multiply charged heavy ion beams for the CERN experimental program. The ion beams are produced with GTS-LHC, a 14.5 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source, operated in afterglow mode. Improvement of the GTS-LHC beam formation and beam transport along Linac3 is part of the upgrade program of the injector chain in preparation for the future high luminosity LHC. A mismatch between the ion beam properties in the ion source extraction region and the acceptance of the following Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) section has been identified as one of the factors limiting the Linac3 performance. The installation of a new focusing element, an einzel lens, into the GTS-LHC extraction region is foreseen as a part of the Linac3 upgrade, as well as a redesign of the first section of the LEBT. Details of the upgrade and results of a beam dynamics study of the extraction region and LEBT modifications will be presented.

Beam dynamics simulations of post low energy beam transport section in RAON heavy ion accelerator.

RAON (Rare isotope Accelerator Of Newness) heavy ion accelerator of the rare isotope science project in Daejeon, Korea, has been designed to accelerate multiple-charge-state beams to be used for various science programs. In the RAON accelerator, the rare isotope beams which are generated by an isotope separation on-line system with a wide range of nuclei and charges will be transported through the post Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) section to the Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ). In order to transport many kinds of rare isotope beams stably to the RFQ, the post LEBT should be devised to satisfy the requirement of the RFQ at the end of post LEBT, simultaneously with the twiss parameters small. We will present the recent lattice design of the post LEBT in the RAON accelerator and the results of the beam dynamics simulations from it. In addition, the error analysis and correction in the post LEBT will be also described.

Electron stripping processes of H⁻ ion beam in the 80 kV high voltage extraction column and low energy beam transport line at LANSCE.

Basic vacuum calculations were performed for various operating conditions of the Los Alamos National Neutron Science H(-) Cockcroft-Walton (CW) injector and the Ion Source Test Stand (ISTS). The vacuum pressure was estimated for both the CW and ISTS at five different points: (1) inside the H(-) ion source, (2) in front of the Pierce electrode, (3) at the extraction electrode, (4) at the column electrode, and (5) at the ground electrode. A static vacuum analysis of residual gases and the working hydrogen gas was completed for the normal ion source working regime. Gas density and partial pressure were estimated for the injected hydrogen gas. The attenuation of H(-) beam current and generation of electron current in the high voltage acceleration columns and low energy beam transport lines were calculated. The interaction of H(-) ions on molecular hydrogen (H2) is discussed as a dominant collision process in describing electron stripping rates. These results are used to estimate the observed increase in the ratio of electrons to H(-) ion beam in the ISTS beam transport line.

Design and fabrication of a duoplasmatron extraction geometry and LEBT for the LANSCE H⁺ RFQ project.

The 750-keV H(+) Cockcroft-Walton at LANSCE will be replaced with a recently fabricated 4-rod Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) with injection energy of 35 keV. The existing duoplasmatron source extraction optics need to be modified to produce up to 35 mA of H(+) current with an emittance <0.02 π-cm-mrad (rms, norm) for injection into the RFQ. Parts for the new source have been fabricated and assembly is in process. We will use the existing duoplasmatron source with a newly designed extraction system and low energy beam transport (LEBT) for beam injection into the RFQ. In addition to source modifications, we need a new LEBT for transport and matching into the RFQ. The LEBT uses two magnetic solenoids with enough drift space between them to accommodate diagnostics and a beam deflector. The LEBT is designed to work over a range of space-charge neutralized currents and emittances. The LEBT is optimized in the sense that it minimizes the beam size in both solenoids for a point design of a given neutralized current and emittance. Special attention has been given to estimating emittance growth due to source extraction optics and solenoid aberrations. Examples of source-to-RFQ matching and emittance growth (due to both non-linear space charge and solenoid aberrations) are presented over a range of currents and emittances about the design point. A mechanical layout drawing will be presented along with the status of the source and LEBT, design, and fabrication.

Beam imaging in the injection line of the INFN-LNS superconducting cyclotron.

A cheap and efficient diagnostic system for beam monitoring has been recently developed at INFN-LNS in Catania. It consists of a high sensitivity CCD camera detecting the light produced by an ion beam hitting the surface of a scintillating screen and a frame grabber for image acquisition. A scintillating screen, developed at INFN-LNS and consisting of a 2 μm BaF2 layer evaporated on an aluminium plate, has been tested by using (20)Ne and (40)Ar beams in the keV energy range. The CAESAR ECR ion source has been used for investigating the influence of the frequency and magnetic field tuning effects, the impact of the microwave injected power, and of the focusing solenoids along the low energy beam transport on the beam shape and current. These tests will allow to better understand the interplay between the plasma and beam dynamics and, moreover, to improve the transport efficiency along the low energy beam line and the matching with the superconducting cyclotron, particularly relevant in view of the expected upgrade of the machine.

High intensity proton injector for facility of antiproton and ion research.

The high current ion source with the low energy beam transport (LEBT) will serve as injector into the proton LINAC to provide primary proton beam for the production of antiprotons. The pulsed ion source developed and built in CEA/Saclay operates with a frequency of 2.45 GHz based on ECR plasma production with two coils with 87.5 mT magnetic field necessary for the electron cyclotron resonance. The compact LEBT consists of two solenoids with a maximum magnetic field of 500 mT including two integrated magnetic steerers to adjust the horizontal and vertical beam positions. The total length of the compact LEBT is 2.3 m and was made as short as possible to reduced emittance growth along the beam line. To measure ion beam intensity behind the pentode extraction system, between solenoids and at the end of the beam line, two current transformers and a Faraday cup are installed. To get information about the beam quality and position, the diagnostic chamber with different equipment will be installed between the two solenoids. This article reports the current status of the proton injector for the facility of antiproton and ion research.

Status of intense permanent magnet proton source for China-accelerator driven sub-critical system Linac.

Two compact intense 2.45 GHz permanent magnet proton sources and their corresponding low energy beam transport (LEBT) system were developed successfully for China accelerator driven sub-critical system in 2014. Both the proton sources operate at 35 kV potential. The beams extracted from the ion source are transported by the LEBT, which is composed of two identical solenoids, to the 2.1 MeV Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ). In order to ensure the safety of the superconducting cavities during commissioning, an electrostatic-chopper has been designed and installed in the LEBT line that can chop the continuous wave beam into a pulsed one. The minimum width of the pulse is less than 10 μs and the fall/rise time of the chopper is about 20 ns. The performance of the proton source and the LEBT, such as beam current, beam profile, emittance and the impact to RFQ injection will be presented.

Designing a test facility LEBT for RISP

Raon, the rare isotope accelerator of the Rare Isotope Science Project (RISP) in Daejeon, South Korea, is being designed to accelerate multiple-charge-state beams simultaneously. Using an Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) Ion Source to produce the ions, Raon will transport the beam through two 90-degree bending magnets and a Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) system to a Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ). A test facility is under development to test the components of the injector and LEBT system. A new LEBT, based upon the LEBT of the main driver linac, is being designed to fit within the test facility’s restrictive space requirements. This work will briefly review the main driver linac LEBT design, and then discuss the current status of the test facility LEBT design.

Beam dynamics at the main LEBT of RAON accelerator

The high-intensity rare isotope accelerator (RAON) of the Rare Isotope Science Project (RISP) in Daejeon, Korea, has been designed to accelerate multiple-charge-state beams. The ion beams, which are generated by using an electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECR-IS), will be transported through the main low energy beam transport (LEBT) system to the radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ). While passing the beams through the LEBT, we should keep the transverse beam size and longitudinal emittance small. Furthermore, the matching of required twiss parameter at the RFQ entrance will be performed by using electro-static quadrupoles at the main LEBT matching section which is from the multi-harmonic buncher (MHB) to the entrance of the RFQ. We will briefly review the new aspects of the main LEBT lattice, and the beam matching at the main LEBT matching section will be presented. In addition, the effects of various errors on the beam orbit and the correction of a distorted orbit will be discussed.

The IsoDAR high intensity H2+ transport and injection tests

This technical report reviews the tests performed at the Best Cyclotron Systems, Inc. facility in regards to developing a cost effective ion source, beam line transport system, and acceleration system capable of high H2+ current output for the IsoDAR (Isotope Decay At Rest) experiment. We begin by outlining the requirements for the IsoDAR experiment then provide overviews of the Versatile Ion Source (VIS), Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) system, spiral inflector, and cyclotron. The experimental measurements are then discussed and the results are compared with a thorough set of simulation studies. Of particular importance we note that the VIS proved to be a reliable ion source capable of generating a large amount of H2+ current. The results suggest that with further upgrades, the VIS could potentially be a suitable candidate for IsoDAR. The conclusion outlines the key results from our tests and introduces the forthcoming work this technical report has motivated.