Development of High Efficiency Versatile Arc Discharge Ion Source (VADIS) at CERN Isolde

We report here recent developments of Forced Electron Beam Impact Arc Discharge (FEBIAD) ion sources at CERN-ISOLDE. As a result of the propositions to improve the ionization efficiency, two FEBIAD prototypes have been produced and successfully tested in 2008. Off-line studies showed that the 1+ ionization efficiencies for noble gases are 5 to 20 times larger than with the standard ISOLDE FEBIAD ion sources, and reach 60% for Radon, which allowed the identification at ISOLDE of 229Rn, an isotope that had never previously been observed in the laboratory. A factor 3 increase is also expected for the ionization efficiency of the other elements. The experimental and theoretical methodology is presented. The theoretical model which gives precise insights on the processes affecting the ionization is used to design optimal sources for the different chemical classes of the produced isotopes, as already demonstrated for noble gases

Ion Sources for MedAustron

The MedAustron Ion therapy center will be constructed in Wiener Neustadt (Austria) in the vicinity of Vienna. Its accelerator complex consists of four ion sources, a linear accelerator, a synchrotron and a beam delivery system to the three medical treatment rooms and to the research irradiation room. The ion sources shall deliver beams of H31+, C4+ and light ions with utmost reliability and stability. This paper describes the features of the ion sources presently planned for the MedAustron facility; such as ion source main parameters, gas injection, temperature control and cooling systems. A dedicated beam diagnostics technique is proposed in order to characterize ECR ions beams; in the first drift region after the ion source, a fraction of the mixed beam is selected via moveable aperture. With standard beam diagnostics, we then aim to produce position-dependant observables such as ion-current density, beam energy distribution and emittance for each charge states to be compared to simulations of ECR e-heating, plasma simulation, beam formation and transport

Calculation of production and decay of radioisotopes for future irradiation experiments and ion beam facilities

Abstract.: The design of future radioactive ion beam (RIB) facilites requires the forecast of radio isotope inventory after irradiation. At CERN - ISOLDE, we developed a software that estimates the activity of irradiated materials as a function of time dedicated to radioactive waste management. This tool can also be used for licensing procedures, planning of irradiation experiments and the estimation of yield

EURISOL High Power Targets

Modern Nuclear Physics requires access to higher yields of rare isotopes, that relies on further development of the In-flight and Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) production methods. The limits of the In-Flight method will be applied via the next generation facilities FAIR in Germany, RIKEN in Japan and RIBF in the USA. The ISOL method will be explored at facilities including ISAC-TRIUMF in Canada, SPIRAL-2 in France, SPES in Italy, ISOLDE at CERN and eventually at the very ambitious multi-MW EURISOL facility. ISOL and in-flight facilities are complementary entities. While in-flight facilities excel in the production of very short lived radioisotopes independently of their chemical nature, ISOL facilities provide high Radioisotope Beam (RIB) intensities and excellent beam quality for 70 elements. Both production schemes are opening vast and rich fields of nuclear physics research. In this article we will introduce the targets planned for the EURISOL facility and highlight some of the technical and safety challenges that are being addressed. The EURISOL Radioactive Ion Beam production relies on three 100 kW target stations and a 4 MW converter target station, and aims at producing orders of magnitude higher intensities of approximately one thousand different radioisotopes currently available, and to give access to new rare isotopes. As an illustrative example of its potential, beam intensities of the order of 1013 132Sn ions pe r second will be available from EURISOL, providing ideal primary beams for further fragmentation or fusion reactions studies

Proton induced thermal stress-wave measurements using a Laser Doppler Vibrometer

Abstract.: Thermal stress-waves are generated in the solid target material when the proton beam interacts. These stress waves excite natural oscillations of the target or cause plastic deformations. Hence, an experimental setup with a laser Doppler vibrometer [CITE] was developed to investigate free surface vibrations of cylindrical targets. The target configurations for RIB and conventional neutrino beams (CNGS project) were investigated to analyze proton induced thermal stress-wave generation and propagatio

Charge-radius change and nuclear moments in the heavy tin isotopes from laser spectroscopy: Charge radius of 132^{132}Sn

NESTER ACCLaser spectroscopy measurements have been carried out on the neutron-rich tin isotopes with the COMPLIS experimental setup. Using the $5s^25p^2$ $^3P_0 \rightarrow 5s^25_p6s$ $^3P_1$ optical transition, hyperfine spectra of $^{126-132}$Sn and $^{125,127,129-131}Sn^m$ were recorded for the first time. The nuclear moments and the mean square charge radius variation ($\delta) were extracted. From the quadrupole moment values, these nuclei appear to be spherical. The magnetic moments measured are thus compared with those predicted by spherical basis approaches. From the measured$\delta, the absolute charge radii of these isotopes were deduced in particular that of the doubly magic $^{132}$Sn nucleus. The comparison of the results with several mean-field-type calculations have shown that dynamical effects play an important role in the tin isotopes

The evolution of the ISOLDE control system

The ISOLDE on-line mass separator facility is operating on a Personal Computer based control system since spring 1992. Front End Computers accessing the hardware are controlled from consoles running Microsoft WindowsTM through a Novell NetWare4TM local area network. The control system is transparently integrated in the CERN wide office network and makes heavy use of the CERN standard office application programs to control and to document the running of the ISOLDE isotope separators. This paper recalls the architecture of the control system, shows its recent developments and gives some examples of its graphical user interface

Time Structure of Particle Production in the Merit High-Power Target Experiment

The MERIT experiment is a proof-of-principle test of a target system for high power proton beam to be used as front-end for a neutrino factory complex or amuon collider. The experiment took data in autumn 2007 with the fast extracted beam from the CERN Proton Synchrotron (PS) to a maximum intensity of about 30 × 1012 protons per pulse. We report results from the portion of the MERIT experiment in which separated beam pulses were delivered to a free mercury jet target with time intervals between pulses varying from 2 to 700 μs. The analysis is based on the responses of particle detectors placed along side and downstream of the target