A novel medium-current (up to 20 mA) and low normalized beam emittance (<1 π mm·mrad) ECR microwave H⁺ ion source has been developed at the Centre for Energy Research in Budapest, Hungary, to work as the serve as the core of a compact neutron source. Designed for high stability, the system aims for an energy ripple below 1%, delivering continuous or pulsed proton beams (20 mA) with adjustable...
The LANSCE $H^-$ Ion Source delivers a 120 Hz, 15 mA, 10% duty factor beam, which is created via a filament driven hydrogen plasma and cesiated surface-conversion. To induce cesiated surface conversion, the converter is coated in cesium via a basic Cs transfer tube port that is connected to a heated Cs reservoir, such that the amount of Cs flux induced on the converter is increased by...
Magnetized ECR plasmas in compact traps are used in ion-source technology, accelerator physics, materials science, and beyond. At INFN-LNS the novel PANDORA facility is also thought as a powerful plasma-based infrastructure dedicated to fundamental research on nuclear decays in plasmas and for various applications. In this frame, an advanced diagnostic system has been developed, enabling...
C12A7 electride, a low work function material, is one of the candidate materials of the plasma grid for a cesium-free negative ion source. The enhancement of the negative ion current was demonstrated using a negative ion source with an ion source plasma discharge power of tens of watts [1]. Toward the fusion and accelerator applications, the C12A7 electrode was applied to a negative ion source...
Monitoring beam intensity and emittance is crucial when supplying multicharged heavy ion beams from an ECR ion source. We are developing a method to predict beam intensity using machine learning based on plasma light images taken through the beam extraction port. Our previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of using plasma light images for this purpose[1]. However, when an oven is...
This work investigates the performance efficiency of three different RF
antenna configurations: Half-Helix, Nagoya-III, and simple helical (coil
type) in a permanent magnet-based Helicon Plasma Source (HPS) through
finite element-based simulations. These simulation studies on argon and
hydrogen plasmas focus on the wave coupling efficiency and power
absorption to evaluate antenna...
In the negative Ion-Based Neutral Beam Injector (NNBI) sources for ITER, hydrogen/deuterium plasma is generated by inductive coupling of RF power at 1 MHz. Experiments on the BATMAN upgrade (BUG) prototype source revealed a significant power loss (over 40%) within the RF network and driver assembly, prompting the necessity to seek source performance improvements to avoid increasing input...
At UMCG-PARTREC, formerly known as the KVI institute, a beam intensity and stability monitor has been developed for the AECR ion source setup. This monitor measures a small fraction of the analyzed beam current parasitically, utilizing inherent beam aberrations. The beam current and its stability are presented to the user via a LabVIEW Graphical User Interface (GUI), which also displays plasma...
Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) is widely used for non-inductive heating, current drive, fueling, and diagnostics in most major magnetic confinement fusion devices. The DIII-D tokamak operates with eight NBI ion sources based on the U.S. Common Long Pulse Source (CLPS) design, delivering a total output power of up to 20 MW. Over the years, the DIII-D NBI system has undergone significant...
Neutral beam injection (NBI) is one of the most effective tools for the plasma heating and current driver. The high power ion source is the key part of NBI system. In order to increase the performance of high power source on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), a new ion source with 120 keV was proposed.
The accelerator of ion source is the key parts. The accelerator gird...
In the operations of the Radio Frequency (RF) negative hydrogen ion sources, temporal oscillation of the H- ion beam has been a significant issue in the particle accelerator or the fusion applications from a viewpoint of the beam optics. Especially, it is pointed out that temporal oscillation of the plasma meniscus may degrade the beam optics. In order to clarify the underlying physics and...
The UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences (LABS) are currently collaborating on the development of an optical diagnostic system for monitoring ion sources. The proposed work builds on the pioneering development of optical diagnostics at ISIS. A particular interest with this work is for monitoring the Penning ion sources at...
Neutral beam injection (NBI) is one of the most effective ways for the plasma heating and current driver. The negative based NBI was proposed for the fusion device, especially for the fusion reactor. In order to support the development of fusion energy, a large scientific device, the Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology (CRAFT) was under-development in China. A negative beam...
The TCV tokamak is equipped with three neutral beams injectors. The low power 50keV, 80kW DNBI together with the CXRS system is used for measurements of plasma ion temperature, velocity, and carbon impurity density since 2000. The 1.3MW/28keV NBI-1 has been operated on TCV from 2015 providing the direct ion heating. The second 1MW/52keV high-energy NBI-2 was installed on TCV in July 2021 and...
We have been studying efficient production of multicharged ions in electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source (ECRIS) based on experimental facts and theoretical considerations. We are conducting experiments in mixing low Z gases, which is widely known empirically as a method for efficient production of multicharged ions. Furthermore, low-frequency electromagnetic waves have been introduced...
Internal Radio-frequency Ion Source for Cyclotrons (IRISC) is a 2.45 GHz internal H⁻ ion source designed for compact cyclotron applications. During its initial operational campaign, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was employed to investigate the influence of key operational parameters — specifically, RF power and gas flow rate — on the generated plasma. Spectral analysis focused on the...
H⁻ ions play a crucial role in hydrogen plasmas, with important applications in plasma-based material processing, accelerator technology, and, most notably, thermonuclear fusion. In fusion research, H⁻ ions are indispensable for plasma heating and current drive in magnetically confined fusion devices. Currently, most H⁻ ion sources employed in fusion rely on inductively coupled plasma (ICP)...
In the laser ion source, it is known that the amount of plasma supplied to the ion extraction gap decreases with increasing laser repetition frequency due to the interference of neutral gas released by laser ablation and remaining in the surrounding space. In particular, charge exchange reactions with neutral gas molecules have a significant impact on the amount of highly charged ions, so...
TAE’s current experimental device, C-2W, utilizes edge-biasing, neutral beam injection, and plasma control to create and sustain a field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma imbedded in a mirror plasma. The eight positive ion-source neutral beams, four static energy (15 keV) and four tunable energy (15-40 keV), also stabilize, fuel, and heat the FRC. Injected beam power correlates non-linearly...
For a high-current negative hydrogen ion source, the discharge power deposited on the electrode surface increases rapidly under high duty factor. At a discharge voltage of 150 V and a discharge current of 50 A, approximately two-thirds of the pulsed discharge power acts on the cathode surface, while about one-third acts on the anode and slit plate surfaces. Such high power density deposition...
We have been investigating the optical emission spectra of hydrogen plasma in a cesiated RF-driven negative hydrogen ion source [1] and the time dependent behavior of the extracted H$^-$ beam from the ion source [2-6] for utilization in particle accelerators. A new diagnostic method that measures electrical current flowing from the ion source to the extraction electrode was tested. The...
In the Research and Development Negative Ion Source (RNIS) at the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), it has been reported that the electron density increases by approximately three times when changing the operation gas from hydrogen to deuterium [1].
In the previous studies, analyses were carried out using a three-dimensional kinetic electron transport code KEIO-MARC and a rate...
The production of negative hydrogen ions inside the ion sources for ITER’s neutral beam injectors (NBI) takes place on a low work function large-area converter surface (plasma grid, PG). Cs is continuously evaporated into the ion-source forming a layer on the PG aiming at reducing its work function (< 2eV) in order to make the production of negative ions more efficient. However, the...
The negative ion sources for ITER’s NBI must provide 47 A of negative ion current in hydrogen (H$^−$) and 40 A in deuterium (D$^−$). Particles must be accelerated to 870 keV for 1000 s in H and to 1 MeV for 3600 s in D. Inherently, the extracted negative ions are accompanied by co-extracted electrons, which must be removed from the beam. Magnets are embedded in the extraction system to deflect...
MedAustron is a synchrotron-based cancer therapy center located in Austria, where patients are treated with clinical proton and carbon ion beams at energy ranges of 62- 252 MeV and of 120- 400 MeV/u, respectively. The MedAustron injector features three identical Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources (ECRIS) operated at 14.5 GHz, two of which are used for clinical treatment. The third...
SPIDER is the full-scale prototype of the ITER Heating Neutral Beam (HNB) ion source. In order to reach the current density requirements, the production of H-/D- ions is greatly enhanced by covering the source’s converter surfaces with caesium, which lowers their work function. In particular, a sufficient and uniform Cs coating is required at the Plasma Grid (PG), the first electrode of the...
An efficient large volume plasma source with large substrate area coverage has been established by arranging a multi-pole line Cusp Magnetic Field (MMF) and two C-Shape scanning devices in front of a heatless hot hollow cathode electron emission source, allowing for higher ionization efficiency and large area surface treatment for industry use. Substrate collected ion current topographic plot...
Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources (ECRIS) have been widely applied in various fields, including particle accelerators, superheavy element research, cancer therapy, and ion implantation. We are conducting research on the efficient production of multicharged ion beams on 2.45 GHz ECRIS. Gas mixing with low-Z gases is known as an effective method for enhancing the production of...
Radio-frequency (RF) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) positive ion sources are under development for the DIII-D neutral beam injection (NBI) system. The project targets 25% higher extracted ion current compared to existing arc-discharge ion sources, while increasing operational reliability.
This research program focuses on understanding physical mechanisms behind ion production and optimizing...
In this work, electron temperature and density have been estimated for hydrogen, helium and neon plasmas generated in a plasma trap known as the plasma reactor, operating at INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud. Plasma is generated by means of Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) between microwaves at 3.8 GHz frequency and a solenoidal magnetic field. Optical emission spectroscopy has been used...
The production rate of negative helium ions (He⁻) was measured for the case of passing positive helium ions (He⁺) through a nano-foil, used as a charge exchange medium. Ratios of the amount of transmitted positive, neutral, and negative helium particles to total transmitted particles were measured when using different nanometer-thick foils including carbon, Formvar, silicon nitride, and gold...
TWo-driver Indigenous Negative ion source, popularly known as TWIN source, at IPR has been operational for the last few years. The TWIN source is ¼th of the ITER DNB source in size. It has been developed to support the Indian Test Facility, INTF operation (testing of ITER DNB source). Hydrogen plasma is generated in both the drivers (diameter ~ 280 mm, length 150 mm, each) of the TWIN source...
To address the negative ion injection requirements of tandem accelerators, this study proposes a He⁻ ion beam generation technology based on a dual charge-exchange mechanism. Given the technical bottleneck caused by the negative electron affinity of ground-state helium atoms, which prevents direct He⁻ ion production, an innovative cascade charge-exchange pathway (He⁺→He⁰→He⁻) is adopted. A...
Within the SAMOTHRACE ecosystem, funded by the EU Next Gen Program, and synergically with the INFN PANDORA project, we here present the development and application of two novel and versatile X-ray sensors, particularly suitable to monitor high X-ray fluxes from ECR plasmas.
Such systems, based on organic scintillating fibers (Sci-Fi) coupled to Si-photomultipliers and X-ray sensitive...
As part of the development of ion sources, we have simulated the behaviour of particles within the ALISES 3 source, an ECR source ion operating at 2.45 GHz. Thanks to software CST Studio, we can study and evaluate the influence of electromagnetic fields (RF, magnetic and electric DC) and collisional processes on the plasma creation, as well as on the production of the beam. The simulation...
The negative ion sources operation of neutral beam injectors (NBI) for tokamak must be carefully optimized for low beam divergence, minimal Cs use, and related HV stability. The long term operation (LTO) is challenging, especially because not only plasma but also evolving surface wall conditions are involved in H- or D- production; moreover, in a full-size source (as SPIDER) installed RF...
Large grids used in ion beam generation from an ion source are exposed to high heat flux and therefore require active cooling. To address this, cooling channels are embedded within the grids. Traditionally, these embedded channels have been fabricated through electroforming, as implemented in systems like JET-PINI, BATMAN and ITER-DNB. Recently, efforts have been made to manufacture a...
The 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source offers several advantages, including high ion current intensity, low ion beam emittance, excellent stability, a relatively simple structure, cost-efficient, and an extended operational lifespan. Consequently, it is the preferred choice for generating high-intensity ion beams in various ion beam facilities. Nowadays numerous compact...
ELIMED is the ion transport and dosimetry section of the ELIMAIA laser-plasma accelerator [1].
In this contribution, we present the main characteristics and capabilities of the ELIMED ion beam transport system. We also describe the initial phases of the experimental testing, highlighting key results, challenges encountered, and the solutions adopted.
In particular, we report on the...
The GANIL (Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds) in Caen has been producing and accelerating stable and radioactive ion beams for nuclear physics, atomic physics, radiobiology and materials irradiation since 1982.
Since 2019, the beam time available on the cyclotron accelerators has been reduced in favour of the commissioning of the SPIRAL2 linear accelerator. This LINAC already...
In order to push the intensities of beam production capabilities, 3rd generation ECR ion sources such as VENUS have implemented the use of superconducting radial and axial confinement magnets that allow for higher fields and higher frequency heating. VENUS’ NbTi superconducting magnets are enclosed in a 4.2K liquid helium reservoir to maintain their temperature and prevent quenching. During...
More than a decade has elapsed since the radiofrequency (RF)-driven negative hydrogen (H$^-$) ion source initiated operation in the autumn of 2014 at J-PARC. Since the 2022/2023 campaign, H$^-$ beams with a beam current of 60 mA have been generated by a single RF-driven H$^-$ ion source in a campaign. The continuous operation time of the ion source reached 4,962 hours in the 2023/2024...
In the present work, we will present the status of the deuterium-deuterium (D-D) neutron source that is being developed in collaboration between the University of Granada and the University of the Basque Country (Spain).
Our neutron source consists of an ECR ion source, which accelerates a deuteron beam towards a deuterated target. The deuterium plasma ionization is achieved by radiating...
A novel hybrid superconducting Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion source named HECRAL-C has been developed to produce milliampere-level C⁴⁺ ion beams. It features a conduction-cooled superconducting axial magnet for 18 GHz operation and a Halbach-array radial hexapole made of high-coercivity and high- remanence NdFeB magnets. The development of HECRAL-C builds on the previous HECRAL ion...
Building on first experience with state-of-the-art model-based adaptive stabilisation algorithms, this contribution presents the results obtained at the LINAC3 ion source after introducing a hierarchical control architecture to better deal with the different response times after control parameter changes. Tailor-made algorithms were necessary to limit exploration during periods of change of...
With the growing number of cancer patients requiring radiation treatment, advancements in accelerator technologies, proton-based in particular, are essential. The ELI Beamlines user facility is exploring laser-driven accelerators as an alternative type. The laser-driven proton beams (LDP) are produced with specific temporal and dose-rate characteristics that may potentially offer treatment...
Abstract: In the HCHC-XX cyclotron design, an H2+ ion source is feeding a high-current beam through an RFQ buncher, axially embedded in the cyclotron yoke, into the central region of the cyclotron where the beam is guided onto the median plane and accelerated. The 60 MeV/amu version, the HCHC-60 will be the driver for the particle physics experiment IsoDAR, an underground...
An electrostatic thruster is an Electric Propulsion [0] technology that ionizes its propellant to accelerate it using electric force. Its performance is measured by the thrust $T=\dot{m}v$ it develops and its specific impulse $I_{sp}=\frac{v}{g}$, the fuel combustion efficiency, with $\dot{m}$ and $v$ the mass flow rate and the velocity of exhaust, and $g$ the standard gravity. The Electron...
At GSI, the CAPRICE ECR Ion Source (ECRIS), installed at the High Charge State Injector (HLI), delivers continuous-wave (cw) metallic ion beams for studies and experiments, carried out by nuclear physics, materials research, and superheavy elements groups. To meet the demand for ions from metals and solid compounds, thermal evaporation via resistively heated ovens is employed.
The use of a...
Production of intense highly charged heavy ion beams is of high challenge with an ECR ion source. To meet the strong requirements from the nuclear physics experiments various methods have been developed to produce metallic ion beams with ECR ion sources at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP). In the recent 5 years, more than 14 different species of metallic ions have been produced with the...
D-Pace is developing a 13.56 MHz cesium-free RF ion source capable of generating negative ion beams (H$^-$, D$^-$) with energies around 25 keV. The current design employs an external flat spiral antenna to couple RF energy into the plasma through a dielectric window [1]. Efforts are now underway to evaluate the performance of the RF ion source using a solenoid-type internal antenna inspired...
The production of high intensity multiple charged heavy ions is one of the main objectives of the 28GHz superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source (SC-ECRIS) at RIKEN. As the SC-ECRIS gradually move towards high power operation, it is important to confirm that the extracted ion beam properties are within the acceptable range of the low energy beam transport system. Investigating...
CRYRING is a heavy-ion storage ring originally designed and operated at the Manne Siegbahn Laboratory (MSL), Stockholm. Recommissioned within the CRYRING@ESR project, it serves as low-energy storage ring for a wide range of research areas, from precision spectroscopy in strong field systems, dynamics in slow atomic collisions, nuclear reactions, materials research and beyond. The ring is able...
The LANSCE Modernization project (LAMP) is planning to replace the first 100 MeV of the LANSCE linac, from the ion sources through the end of the drift-tube linac. In addition to replacing the drift-tube linac and switching from dual Cockcroft-Walton injectors to a single RFQ, the existing filament based H- ion source will be replaced by RF-driven, SNS style ion source. This poster will...
TRIUMF’s Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) complex produces rare radioactive ion beams for experiments by bombarding targets with a primary H$^+$ driver beam from the 500 MeV cyclotron. A dedicated electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source at ISAC – the so-called “charge-state booster” (CSB), is used to charge-breed those radioactive ions for post-accelerated experiments. Here we...
A complete redesign of the ATLAS ECR2 ion source permanent magnet hexapole was completed to support 18 GHz operation, allowing for increased intensities and beam energies. This permanent magnet hexapole has since been manufactured and received. A magnetic field mapping of the hexapole was completed and compared against simulation results. Additionally, the ATLAS ECR3 has struggled with...
A mixed carbon/helium ion beam with a variable He percentage for heavy ion radiotherapy and radiography has been provided and investigated at GSI for a second time in order to continue the studies on this new mode of image guidance for carbon ion beam therapy.
The mixed 12C3+/4He+ ion beam out of CH4 and 4He was provided by the 14.5 GHz CAPRICE ECR ion source for the subsequent...
As radiopharmaceutical therapy gains prominence in the targeted treatment of certain cancers, global demand for radionuclides—particularly the beta-emitting lutetium-177—is rapidly increasing. Lutetium-177 is widely used in treating advanced neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancer, and it is also well-suited for theranostic applications. Traditionally, production of lutetium-177 has relied...
Electron Cyclotron Resonance-based charge breeding is a reliable and well-established technique to boost the charge states of radioactive ions produced in Isotope Separation Online (ISOL) Facilities. While its first applications relied on a pure experimental approach, the optimization of charge breeding has recently benefitted from numerical simulations guiding the experiments and providing...
The SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species), located in INFN-LNL, Italy, is an ISOL (Isotope Separator On-Line) facility dedicated to the production of radioactive ion beams (RIBs). One of the main ion sources SPES employs is the Hot Cavity Resonant Ionization Laser Ion Source (HC-RILIS).
The RILIS method employs stepwise photo-ionization schemes that are element-specific, thereby...
Selectivity is a major parameter of the ISOL process. In order to avoid overloading downstream processes, purity control should be implemented as early as possible in the process chain from target material to the beam user delivery point [1]. In this work we present a novel approach for the development and production of SnS radioactive ion beams using the photofission production mode. The...
The demand for high-intensity $He^{2+}$ ion beams is rapidly increasing, driven by applications in ad-vanced medical therapies and groundbreaking scientific research. The stringent requirements for these beams require a deep understanding of the interplay between plasma parameters and beam properties. Establishing this connection would enable strategic R&D advancements for next-generation ion...
This paper review progress being made with FRIB superconducting ion source and the first results at 28 GHz operation. FRIB has now been in operations for over 3 years and deliver beam to the nuclear physics users with up to 20kW beam power on target. This beam power was achieved for many primary beams including Uranium and has been used routinely for experiments over the past year. In...
Positive ion mass spectrometry (PIMS) represents an advanced methodology for radiocarbon dating, that operates on principles differ from those of traditional. Current research mainly focuses on the miniaturization and automation of equipment. The Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion source is designed to utilize gas sample supply, facilitating automated measurement processes. A compact 2.45...
The technology for the continuous operation of neutral beam injectors (NBI) for thermonuclear fusion with high-power output based on negative ion sources has not yet been realized. One of the major challenges is the development of, long-pulse, high-power ion sources with limited maintenance requirements.
To meet the diverse requirements of next-generation fusion reactors, plasma sources with...
LANSCE uses a duoplasmatron ion source to produce H+ ion beams for the Isotope Production Facility, which uses 100 MeV proton beams to produce a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic isotopes for research purposes and also supports a variety of other experiments for materials and nuclear physics. We have recently begun work to improve the reliability, peak current, and lifetime of the ion...
The present status of the 50keV / 3A Diagnostic Neutral Beam Injector (DNBI) at TCV tokamak is described.
In 2024, optical and mechanical inspections of the Ion Optical System (IOS) were performed. A significant deformation of the first (plasma) grid was revealed of the order of ~ 1 mm at the central area. The plasma grid was replaced by a new re-manufactured one with its existing design. The...
V. Dudnikov, R. Johnson, S. Murrey, M. Popovic, R. Abrams, MaryAnne Cummings, T. Roberts, D. M. Kaplan, T. Phillips, T. Smick
Muons, Inc, Batavia, IL 60510, USA.
RF ion source of Hydrogen ions with energy 30 keV and current up to 100 mA is described.
AlN discharge chamber is water-cooled. A multiaperture 4 electrode extraction system is used for ion beam formation. RF discharge is...
The ALISES3 Ion source has demonstrated very good reliability for 30mA extracted current on a long term opreration at 50kV extraction energy with a single magnetic coil at ground potential. ALISES3 source is originally equipped with a 2.45GHz magnetron. Several RF measurements of the magnetron, installed on a stand alone test bench showed a frequency modulation which can lead to detune the ECR...
The Canadian Rare isotope facility with Electron Beam ion source (CANREB) is part of the Advanced Rare Isotope Laboratory (ARIEL) at TRIUMF. CANREB will be used for charge state breeding of rare isotope beams for post-acceleration to experiments in ISAC. Beams injected into CANREB are first bunched using an RFQ cooler buncher and energy matched into an electron beam ion source (EBIS). The EBIS...
The Beijing Radioactive ion beam facility Isotope Separator On-Line（BRISOL）is a radioactive ion beam facility based on a 100MeV cyclotron providing 200μA proton beam bombarding the thick target to produce radioactive nuclei, which are transferred into an ion source to produce singly charged ion beams. A surface ion source had been developed for BRISOL, and the first radioactive beams (37K+,...
Gas mixing and afterglow operation are common methods to improve high charge state ion beam performance with Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion sources. In gas mixing a light gas species is introduced into the ion source plasma to enhance the ion currents of a heavier main element. The benefits of this technique are commonly attributed to the “cooling” of the heavier element ions through...
The recently introduced non-adiabatic electron gun at the REXEBIS has shown excellent charge breeding results for a very low number of injected stable and radioactive ions. When increasing the number of ions, the effective electron current density is immediately affected. We have studied these effects and tried to mitigate the performance loss by the use of ion-ion cooling evaporation,...
SPES, acronym for Selective Production of Exotic Species, is an Isotope-Separation On-Line (ISOL) facility at INFN-LNL that was commissioned in November 2024 with the production of the first Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB). In such kind of facilities the RIB production is achieved with the following steps: firstly a production target is typically impinged by a high energy and high intensity primary...
ISOL@MYRRHA, under construction at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK CEN [1], will be an isotope separation facility producing radioactive ion beams (RIBs) using 100-MeV protons at beam intensities of up to 500 µA. These RIBs support applications in fundamental research, medical science, and materials science. A key component is the 'hot cavity' ion source, which relies on surface...
Ben Warfield1, Oliver Kester3, Christopher Charles3, Jason Taylor4, Cory Drew4, Jacob Cramton4, Chris Kent4, Nicolas Savard5, Tobias Junginger1, Gwenael Fubiani6, Morgan Dehnel1,2,5
1 University of Victoria Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, 2 Selkirk...
We present a novel tunable permanent magnet quadrupole specifically suited for low-energy beam transport lines in ion source systems. These front-end sections often operate under tight spatial constraints and limited access, making conventional electromagnets or complex cooling systems impractical. Our design addresses these challenges by combining wide field tunability, mechanical openness,...
As part of the NEWGAIN project [1], the ECR ion source ASTERICS aiming at delivering a continuous beam of 10 pμA U34+ is under development [2]. This work reports the parametric simulation study of ASTERIC’s ion extraction triode system using the IBSimu C++ library [3], focusing on an argon (Ar) beam.
The simulations assessed the impact of hot electron temperature escaping the plasma on the...
The ADIGE injector will be the first part of the post-acceleration of radioactive ions produced in the framework of the SPES project at INFN - Legnaro National Laboratories. The beam extracted from an ECR-based Charge Breeder (CB) will be transported toward a medium-resolution mass spectrometer (MRMS, resolving power 1/1000), installed on a negatively polarized high-voltage platform, and then...
A filament-type penning ionization gauge ion source with small power consumption and low energy spread (FPIG) has been developed for a compact ion microbeam. In this microbeam system, a duoplasmatron-type ion source with a filament (DpIS) has, so far, been used to produce submicron beams. The DpIS can generate low energy ion beam with a low beam energy spread. However, the DpIS consumes...
We present an adaptation of the broadband electron gun concept [1] for use within a 5 T solenoid, optimised for an Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) designed for medical accelerators in cancer therapy. Building upon previous developments utilizing non-adiabatic magnetic field shaping with coils and iron rings, this approach provides a laminar electron beam across a wide range of current...
In nuclear physics accelerators, as the SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) complex at LNL, radiofrequency quadrupole coolers (RFQC) are often necessary to cool the beam from exotic ion sources both in energy spread $\sigma_E$ and normalized transverse emittance $\epsilon_N$, in order to match the acceptance of high resolution mass spectrometers for exotic nuclei selection (rms...
This paper presents a planned comparative study of RF plasma ignition systems operating at 13 MHz and 27 MHz in both continuous wave (CW) and pulsed modes for H⁻ ion sources at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). The objective is to evaluate how RF frequency and mode influence plasma ignition characteristics and system performance. Key parameters to be characterized include RF power...
Avalanche Energy’s fusion system, the Orbitron, requires the transport of low-energy, positive ion beams into extremely low-pressure environments. As the fusion systems mature, the need for beam current increases rapidly. To match development pace of the Orbitron system, we have acquired a D-Pace ECR ion source that can produce 30 mA of D+ beam current at 50 keV of energy. While this source...
The production of high current beams of multiply charged ions has many applications, such as accelerator-based medical isotope production and optimisation of the atomic to molecular ion ratio in high-current proton sources relevant for major accelerator facilities. Microwave discharge ion sources are one option for production of ion beams. These sources require a system to generate a magnetic...
In laser ion sources, it has been shown that the maximum ion charge state increases as the laser irradiation angle relative to the target surface approaches normal incidence. However, in practical systems, a plasma transport line for extracting ion beams is typically aligned along the vertical axis of the target, making it difficult to irradiate the target at normal incidence. To solve this...
Recent beam phase space measurement of the J-PARC negative hydrogen ion ($\text{H}^-$ ion) source shows that the extracted beam involves several components: beam core, diverging halo, converging halo, and asymmetric components [1]. As the beam components except the core lead to beam losses after accelerating in the linac cavities, understanding of the halo formation is an important task. A 3D...
As part of CERN’s Medical and Societal Applications program, a system composed of an extractor and two-gridded lens has been experimentally validated as a compact Low-Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) solution, critical for integrating pre-injectors into compact medical accelerators. The system is under 90 cm long and it is designed to extract transport and transversely match ion beams at an energy...
To enhance the matching efficiency between the laser ion source and the subsequent RFQ accelerator with the direct plasma injection scheme or other schemes, the characteristics of the ion beams extracted from the laser ion source was investigated. For this purpose, a three-electrode extraction system and a Pepperpot emittance meter equipped with an intensified imaging system were developed....
The Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) facility at the Rare Isotope Accelerator complex for ON-line experiments (RAON) produces rare isotope (RI) beams using various ion sources to support a wide range of research applications. Following the successful commissioning of RI beams using a Surface Ion Source and a Resonant Ionization Laser Ion Source (RILIS), a new Forced Electron Beam Induced Arc...
Caesiated surface plasma sources are commonly used for high current H- production. These are pulsed DC arc discharge sources with varying geometries. The DC arc discharge is typically current-controlled, i.e. the discharge voltage is a free parameter adjusting over time and within the pulse. The longevity and performance of ion sources are critical factors in particle accelerators, especially...
Heavy ion synchrotron accelerators rely on intense pulsed beams of highly charged ions. The production of these pulsed beams from an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source is predominantly achieved through the afterglow mode. However, the influence of microwave parameters on the characteristics of afterglow beams in high-frequency, high-power and large plasma-volume ion sources remains...
Ion irradiation has emerged as a vital tool for engineering the structural and electronic properties of materials, particularly thin films used in advanced functional applications. Its precision and tunability make it highly effective for defect modulation at the nanoscale, driving innovations in materials research. In this work, we present the design, simulation, and fabrication of a compact...
Electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) hydrogen ion source has advantages of producing high beam intensity with low emittance and long life, has been wildly used in high energy physics, medical and archaeology, etc. They are among the few efficient devices capable of generating high-intensity H+, H2+, or H3+ ion beams. To better understand the mechanisms underlying the hydrogen plasma discharges,...
A common approach for modeling plasma dynamics in ion sources is the Particle-in-Cell (PIC) method. However, in the high-density, low-temperature, low-pressure plasmas typically found in ion sources, PIC simulations face significant challenges. Accurately resolving the Debye length and plasma frequency requires fine spatial and temporal resolution, along with sufficient particles per cell,...
LEPIC is a Particle-In-Cell (PIC) code developed at the LAPLACE Laboratory in Toulouse, originally designed to simulate the dynamics of charged particles in negative ion sources for the ITER collaboration. In this work, we present recent developments that extend the code’s capabilities to better model the physical processes relevant to high-density, low-temperature plasmas such as those found...
The extraction system of the Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source LEGIS (LEGnaro ecrIS), installed at INFN - Legnaro National Laboratories, and the following Low Energy Beamline (LEBT) have been recently characterized by numerical simulations, whose results showed a very good agreement with experimental evidences. The study correctly reproduced the beam transmission downstream the ion...
A compact, cesium-free negative hydrogen ion source has been deployed as part of a boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) accelerator system. The source, based on D-Pace hardware, is supported by ancillary systems developed by TAE Life Sciences and delivers a stable beam with currents up to 15 mA. It supports reliable and efficient operation across a range of beam currents, making it suitable...
After several years of Particle-in-Cell (PIC) development to study Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources (ECRIS), we are close to reproducing the experimental behavior with high fidelity. We present some cases where the simulations disclose the reasons for observed behaviors. First, we observed the differences between the HSMDIS** magnetic configuration and the conventional magnetic...
Avalanche Energy’s fusion systems require the transport of low-energy ion beams into extremely low-pressure environments, often within the constraints of compact packages. Traditional vacuum pumping methods used on accelerator beamlines are infeasible at this scale, necessitating innovative designs. This work presents an overview of the beam transport solutions developed at Avalanche,...
Large-size, Multi-beam group negative ion-based neutral beam injectors (NBI) are an effective heating and current drive system for fusion reactors such as ITER. Improving understanding of ion beam transport is critical for optimizing the performance and efficiency of such multi-beam group NBI systems. Primary studies on a 1/8$^{th}$ size, 2-beam group-based negative ion source (ROBIN:...
Standing plasma striations are characterized by alternating regions of high and low luminosity observed in various plasma environments, including positive columns of DC discharges and microwave-generated plasma. In each case, the cause of said striations and the parameter space in which they exist vary. In recent tests at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), stationary striations have been...
RAON (Rare isotope Accelerator complex for ON-line experiments) is a particle accelerator constructed in South Korea for research in nuclear physics, materials science, medicine, and related fields.
To stably produce and accelerate ion beams, three types of ECR ion sources are planned for operation: a 28 GHz ECR ion source, a 14.5 GHz ECR ion source, and a spare ECR ion source.
The 28 GHz...
In RF negative ion sources, the extracted beam involves AC component oscillating with the RF frequency [1]. The oscillation component causes the beam loss and damage the device. Therefore, the beam oscillation should be suppressed, but its physical mechanism is still unclear.
In this study, the numerical analysis was conducted using a 3D PIC model to understand the time evolution of the...
