The preliminary tests of the superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source DECRIS-SC2

A new compact version of the "liquid He-free" superconducting ECR ion source, to be used as an injector of highly charged heavy ions for the MC-400 cyclotron, is designed and built at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions in collaboration with the Laboratory of High Energy Physics of JINR. The axial magnetic field of the source is created by the superconducting magnet and the NdFeB hexapole is used for the radial plasma confinement. The microwave frequency of 14 GHz is used for ECR plasma heating. During the first tests, the source shows a good enough performance for the production of medium charge state ions. In this paper, we will present the design parameters and the preliminary results with gaseous ions.     

Experimental electron energy distribution function investigation at initial stage of electron cyclotron resonance discharge

Experimental investigation is undertaken to study formation of electron energy distribution function (EEDF) at the initial stage of electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) discharge inside magnetic mirror trap. In experiment, where discharge was initiated by high power radiation of gyrotron operated in the mm-wavelength range, electrons were revealed to leave the trap having EEDF be quite different from Maxwellian one. Specifically, the EEDF was found to decrease slowly with energy up to 400-500 keV and drops abruptly further. The possible physical mechanisms are discussed to explain losses of high energy electrons from the trap and a limitation of their energy.     

Generation of high charge state metal ion beams by electron cyclotron resonance heating of vacuum arc plasma in cusp trap

A method for generating high charge state heavy metal ion beams based on high power microwave heating of vacuum arc plasma confined in a magnetic trap under electron cyclotron resonance conditions has been developed. A feature of the work described here is the use of a cusp magnetic field with inherent "minimum-B" structure as the confinement geometry, as opposed to a simple mirror device as we have reported on previously. The cusp configuration has been successfully used for microwave heating of gas discharge plasma and extraction from the plasma of highly charged, high current, gaseous ion beams. Now we use the trap for heavy metal ion beam generation. Two different approaches were used for injecting the vacuum arc metal plasma into the trap--axial injection from a miniature arc source located on-axis near the microwave window, and radial injection from sources mounted radially at the midplane of the trap. Here, we describe preliminary results of heating vacuum arc plasma in a cusp magnetic trap by pulsed (400 μs) high power (up to 100 kW) microwave radiation at 37.5 GHz for the generation of highly charged heavy metal ion beams.     

Inclined slot-excited annular electron cyclotron resonance plasma source for hyperthermal neutral beam generation

An inclined slot-excited antenna (ISLAN) electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source is newly designed and constructed for higher flux hyperthermal neutral beam (HNB) generation. The developed ISLAN source is modified from vertical slot-excited antenna (VSLAN) source in two aspects: one is the use of inclined slots instead of vertical slots, and the other is a cusp magnetic field configuration rather than a toroidal configuration. Such modifications allow us to have more uniform arrangement of slots and magnets, then enabling plasma generation more uniform and thinner. Moreover, ECR plasma allows higher ionization rate, enabling plasma density higher even in submillitorr pressures, therefore decreasing the collision rate and∕or the reionization rate of the reflected atoms while passing through the plasma, and eventually getting higher flux of HNBs. In this paper, we report the design features and the plasma characteristics of the ISLAN source by doing plasma measurements and electromagnetic simulations. It was found that ISLAN source can be a high potential source for larger flux HNB generation; the source was found to give higher plasma densities and better uniformities than inductively coupled plasma source, particularly in low pressure ranges. Also, it is important that using ISLAN gives easier matching and better stability, i.e., ISLAN shows similar field patterns and good plasma symmetries irrespective of the variations of the mean diameter of the ring resonator and∕or the presence of a limiter or a reflector, and the operating pressures.     

Development of DRAGON electron cyclotron resonance ion source at Institute of Modern Physics

A new room temperature electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source, DRAGON, is under construction at IMP. DRAGON is designed to operate at microwaves of frequencies of 14.5-18 GHz. Its axial solenoid coils are cooled with evaporative medium to provide an axial magnetic mirror field of 2.5 T at the injection and 1.4 T at the extraction, respectively. In comparison to other conventional room temperature ECR ion sources, DRAGON has so far the largest bore plasma chamber of inner diameter of 126 mm with maximum radial fields of 1.4-1.5 T produced by a non-Halbach permanent sextupole magnet.     

36-segmented high magnetic field hexapole magnets for electron cyclotron resonance ion source

Two high magnetic field hexapoles for electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) have successfully fabricated to provide sufficient radial magnetic confinement to the ECR plasma. The highest magnetic field at the inner pole tip of one of the magnets exceeds 1.5 T, with the inner diameter (i.d.)=74 mm. The other hexapole magnet provides more than 1.35 T magnetic field at the inner pole tip, and the i.d. is 84 mm. In this article, we discuss the necessity to have a good radial magnetic field confinement and the importance of a Halbach hexapole to a high performance ECRIS. The way to design a high magnetic field Halbach structure hexapole and one possible solution to the self-demagnetization problem are both discussed. Based on the above discussions, two high magnetic field hexapoles have been fabricated to be utilized on two high performance ECRISs in Lanzhou. The preliminary results obtained from the two ECR ion sources are given.     

Measurement of the high energy component of the x-ray spectra in the VENUS electron cyclotron resonance ion source

High performance electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion sources, such as VENUS (Versatile ECR for NUclear Science), produce large amounts of x-rays. By studying their energy spectra, conclusions can be drawn about the electron heating process and the electron confinement. In addition, the bremsstrahlung from the plasma chamber is partly absorbed by the cold mass of the superconducting magnet, adding an extra heat load to the cryostat. Germanium or NaI detectors are generally used for x-ray measurements. Due to the high x-ray flux from the source, the experimental setup to measure bremsstrahlung spectra from ECR ion sources is somewhat different from that for the traditional nuclear physics measurements these detectors are generally used for. In particular, the collimation and background shielding can be problematic. In this paper, we will discuss the experimental setup for such a measurement, the energy calibration and background reduction, the shielding of the detector, and collimation of the x-ray flux. We will present x-ray energy spectra and cryostat heating rates depending on various ion source parameters, such as confinement fields, minimum B-field, rf power, and heating frequency.     

Optimization of gas utilization efficiency for short-pulsed electron cyclotron resonance ion source

Numerical analysis of (6)He atoms utilizing efficiency in the ion source with powerful gyrotron heating is performed in present work using zero-dimensional balanced model of ECR discharge in a magnetic trap. Two ways of creation of ion source with high gas utilization efficiency (up to 60%-90%) are suggested.     

A tetrode based fast pulsed microwave source for electron cyclotron resonance breakdown experiments

To study electron cylotron resonance (ECR) breakdown and afterglow plasma in an experimental linear plasma system, a pulsed microwave source with rapid rise and fall of microwave power is desired. A pulsed microwave source with fast rise and fall capability for ECR breakdown experiments has been designed and tested for performance in the system. A tetrode, controlled by a modulator card, is used as a fast switch to initiate microwave power from a conventional magnetron operating at 2.45 GHz. The typical rise time of microwave power is approximately 3 micros and a fall time of approximately 10 micros. Using this scheme in a realistic pulsed microwave source at 800 W power, ECR breakdown of neutral gas is achieved and the plasma delay and fall time are observed from the plasma density measurements using a Langmuir probe. The design details of the fast rise pulsed microwave source are presented in this article with initial experimental results.     

Ion beam capture and charge breeding in electron cyclotron resonance ion source plasmas

Beam capture of injected ions and charge breeding in electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) charge breeder ion source plasmas has been investigated utilizing an ECR plasma modeling code, the generalized ECR ion source model, and a Monte Carlo beam capture code. Beam capturing dynamics, charge breeding in the plasma, and the extracted charged ion states are described. Optimization of ion beam energy is performed for (1) high beam capture efficiency and (2) high charge state ion beam extractions. A sample case study for ANL-ECR has been performed. Ions entering ECR ion source plasma are slowed down mostly by the background ions. Assuming Maxwellian plasma ions, maximum beam energy loss occurs when the beam velocity is around the background thermal velocity in magnitude. It is also found that beam capture location affects charge state distribution. For instance, with a majority of beam ions captured near the middle of the device higher currents for higher charge states are obtained. The beam ions captured near the entry have a higher probability of backstreaming after they are captured. For this reason, the optimum beam energy of the injected Ar(+) beam ions for charge breeding is generally higher than the optimum input beam energy for maximum beam energy loss.     

Design of a compact electron cyclotron resonance ion source for medium charge state light ions

At the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization we are developing a new isotope ratio mass spectrometer based on the measurement of multiple charge state ions. We have carried out a review of our existing ECR ion source and identified a number of design flaws. For the new instrument, we are producing a new ECR source and have refined the design, in particular by using 3D simulations to improve the magnetic confinement field and by a combination of simulations and experiments to improve the design of the microwave coupling.     

Wall-loss distribution of charge breeding ions in an electron cyclotron resonance ion source

We investigated the ion-loss distribution on the sidewall of an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma chamber using the 18-GHz ECR charge breeder at the Tokai Radioactive Ion Accelerator Complex (TRIAC). Similarities and differences between the ion-loss distributions (longitudinal and azimuthal) of different ion species (i.e., radioactive (111)In(1+) and (140)Xe(1+) ions that are typical volatile and nonvolatile elements) was qualitatively discussed to understand the element dependence of the charge breeding efficiency. Especially, the similarities represent universal ion loss characteristics in an ECR charge breeder, which are different from the loss patterns of electrons on the ECRIS wall.     

Wall-loss distribution of charge breeding ions in an electron cyclotron resonance ion source

The ion loss distribution in an electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) was investigated to understand the element dependence of the charge breeding efficiency in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) charge breeder. The radioactive (111)In(1+) and (140)Xe(1+) ions (typical nonvolatile and volatile elements, respectively) were injected into the ECR charge breeder at the Tokai Radioactive Ion Accelerator Complex to breed their charge states. Their respective residual activities on the sidewall of the cylindrical plasma chamber of the source were measured after charge breeding as functions of the azimuthal angle and longitudinal position and two-dimensional distributions of ions lost during charge breeding in the ECRIS were obtained. These distributions had different azimuthal symmetries. The origins of these different azimuthal symmetries are qualitatively discussed by analyzing the differences and similarities in the observed wall-loss patterns. The implications for improving the charge breeding efficiencies of nonvolatile elements in ECR charge breeders are described. The similarities represent universal ion loss characteristics in an ECR charge breeder, which are different from the loss patterns of electrons on the ECRIS wall.     

Influence of frequency tuning and double-frequency heating on ions extracted from an electron cyclotron resonance ion source

The electromagnetic field within the plasma chamber of an electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) and the properties of the plasma waves affect the plasma properties and ion beam production. We have experimentally investigated the "frequency tuning effect" and "double frequency heating" on the CAPRICE ECRIS device. A traveling wave tube amplifier, two microwave sweep generators, and a dedicated experimental set-up were used to carry out experiments in the 12.5-16.5 GHz frequency range. During the frequency sweeps the evolution of the intensity and shape of the extracted argon beam were measured together with the microwave reflection coefficient. A range of different ion source parameter settings was used. Here we describe these experiments and the resultant improved understanding of these operational modes of the ECR ion source.     

The electron cyclotron resonance ion source with arc-shaped coils concept (invited)

The main limitation to further improve the performance of ECR ion sources is set by the magnet technology related to the multipole magnet field used for the closed minimum-B structure. The JYFL ion source group has sought different approaches to improve the strength of the minimum-B structure required for the production of highly charged ion beams. It was found out that such a configuration can be realized with arc shaped coils. The first prototype, electron cyclotron resonance ion source with arc-shaped coils (ARC-ECRIS), was constructed and tested at JYFL in 2006. It was confirmed that such an ion source can be used for the production of highly charged ion beams. Regardless of several cost-driven compromises such as extraction mirror ratio of 1.05-1.2, microwave frequency of 6.4 GHz, and beam line with limited capacity, Ar(4+) beam intensity of up to 2 μA was measured. Subsequent design study has shown that the ARC-ECRIS operating at the microwave frequency above 40 GHz could be constructed. This specific design would be based on NbTi-wires and it fulfills the experimental magnetic field scaling laws. In this article, the ARC-ECRIS concept and its potential applications will be described.     

Characterization of plasma parameters, first beam results, and status of electron cyclotron resonance source

Electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source at 50 keV, 30 mA proton current has been designed, fabricated, and assembled. Its plasma study has been done. Plasma chamber was excited with 350 W of microwave power at 2450 MHz, along with nitrogen and hydrogen gases. Microwave power was fed to the plasma chamber through waveguide. Plasma density and electron temperature were studied under various operating conditions, such as magnetic field, gas pressure, and transversal distance. Langmuir probe was used for plasma characterization using current-voltage variation. The nitrogen plasma density calculated was approximately 4.5 x 10(11) cm(-3), and electron temperatures of 3-10 eV (cold) and 45-85 eV (hot) were obtained. The total ion beam current of 2.5 mA was extracted, with two-electrode extraction geometry, at 15 keV beam energy. The optimization of the source is under progress to extract 30 mA proton beam current at 50 keV beam energy, using three-electrode extraction geometry. This source will be used as an injector to continuous wave radio frequency quadrupole, a part of 100 MeV proton linac. The required root-mean-square normalized beam emittance is less than 0.2pi mm mrad. This article presents the study of plasma parameters, first beam results, and status of ECR proton source.     

Beam injection improvement for electron cyclotron resonance charge breeders

The injection of a 1+ beam into an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) charge breeder is classically performed through a grounded tube placed on its axis at the injection side. This tube presents various disadvantages for the operation of an ECR charge breeder. First experiments without a grounded tube show a better use of the microwave power and a better charge breeding efficiency. The optical acceptance of the charge breeder without decelerating tube allows the injection of high intensity 1+ ion beams at high energy, allowing metals sputtering inside the ion source. The use of this method for refractory metallic ion beams production is evaluated.     

Operation of the CAPRICE electron cyclotron resonance ion source applying frequency tuning and double frequency heating

The properties of the electromagnetic waves heating the electrons of the ECR ion sources (ECRIS) plasma affect the features of the extracted ion beams such as the emittance, the shape, and the current, in particular for higher charge states. The electron heating methods such as the frequency tuning effect and the double frequency heating are widely used for enhancing the performances of ECRIS or even for the routine operation during the beam production. In order to better investigate these effects the CAPRICE ECRIS has been operated using these techniques. The ion beam properties for highly charged ions have been measured with beam diagnostic tools. The reason of the observed variations of this performance can be related to the different electromagnetic field patterns, which are changing inside the plasma chamber when the frequency is varying.     

Advanced light ion source extraction system for a new electron cyclotron resonance ion source geometry at Saclay

One of the main goal of intense light ion injector projects such as IPHI, IFMIF, or SPIRAL2, is to produce high current beams while keeping transverse emittance as low as possible. To prevent emittance growth induced in a dual solenoid low energy transfer line, its length has to be minimized. This can be performed with the advanced light ion source extraction system concept that we are developing: a new ECR 2.45 GHz type ion source based on the use of an additional low energy beam transport (LEBT) short length solenoid close to the extraction aperture to create the resonance in the plasma chamber. The geometry of the source has been considerably modified to allow easy maintenance of each component and to save space in front of the extraction. The source aims to be very flexible and to be able to extract high current ion beams at energy up to 100 kV. A specific experimental setup for this source is under installation on the BETSI test bench, to compare its performances with sources developed up to now in the laboratory, such as SILHI, IFMIF, or SPIRAL2 ECR sources. This original extraction source concept is presented, as well as electromagnetic simulations with OPERA-2D code. Ion beam extraction in space charge compensation regime with AXCEL, and beam dynamics simulation with SOLMAXP codes show the beam quality improvement at the end of the LEBT.