Radioactive ion beam production challenges at the Holifield Heavy Ion Research Facility
The radioactive ion beam (RIB) project at the Holifield Heavy Ion Research Facility (HHIRF) will provide for reconfiguration of the HHIRF accelerator system to enable provision of low-intensity RIBs for nuclear and astrophysics research. As we have progressed with the design of the reconfiguration, we have encountered several challenges that were not immediately obvious when first contemplating the project. The challenges do not seem insurmountable but should keep life interesting for those of us doing the work. A brief review of the project will allow a better understanding of the challenges in RIB production. Radioactive ion beams will be produced with the Isotope Separator On-Line (ISOL) postacceleration technique. In particular, radioactive atoms will be produced by reactions in the thick stopping target of an ISOL-type target-ion source assembly using intense beams from the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron equipped with a light-ion internal source. This ISOL target-ion source assembly will be mounted on a high-voltage platform with a mass separator. The target ion source will operate at potentials up to 50 kV with respect to the high voltage platform. The radioactive atoms produced by nuclear reactions in the target diffuse to the surface of the heated target material, desorb from this surface, and effuse through a heated transfer tube into an ion source where ionization and extraction take place. Two types of ion sources will be initially considered. A Forced Electron Beam Induced Arc Discharge source, similar to those used by the ISOLDE facility at CERN and by the UNISOR facility at ORNL, will be built to produce positive ions. These positive ions will be focused through an alkali vapor charge-exchange canal to produce negative ions for tandem injection. In addition, a direct negative surface ionization addition or modification to the above source will be built and investigated.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 6955772
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9209206-4; ON: DE93003609
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Symposium of northeastern accelerator personnel (SNEAP), Quebec (Canada), 23-25 Sep 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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