Experimental development on the 18 mA, H- multi-cusp ion source at China Institute of Atomic Energy

The ion source is one of the key devices for the high-intensity cyclotron, which exerts influence on the beam intensity and applications of the machine. The H(-) multi-cusp ion source developed at China Institute of Atomic Energy has been used to perform experimental study on beam intensity and emittance versus the bias voltage, arc power, lens voltage, and pressure of the ion source. Up to now, 18 mA H(-) ion beam with emittance of 0.93 πmm mrad (four times RMS normalized emittance) was obtained from this ion source through the in-depth study and optimization on some essential factors affecting the beam intensity and quality. The paper will present the experimental study on the ion source as well as the beam test results.