A. Barcikowski

Beam test of a grid-less multi-harmonic buncher

The Argonne Tandem Linear Accelerator System (ATLAS) is the first superconducting heavy-ion linac in the world. Currently ATLAS is being upgraded with the Californium Rare Ion Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU). The latter is a funded project to expand the range of shortlived, neutron-rich rare isotope beams available for nuclear physics research at ATLAS. To avoid beam losses associated with the existing gridded multi-harmonic buncher (MHB), we have developed and built a grid-less four-harmonic buncher with fundamental frequency of 12.125 MHz. In this paper, we report the results of the MHB commissioning and ATLAS beam performance with the new buncher.

EBIS charge breeder for CARIBU

A high-efficiency charge breeder based on an Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) is being developed by the ANL Physics Division to increase the intensity and improve the purity of accelerated radioactive ion beams. A wide variety of low-energy neutron-rich ion beams are produced by the Californium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) for the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS). These beams will be charge-bred by an EBIS charge breeder to a charge-to-mass ratio (q/A) ≥ 1/7 and accelerated by ATLAS to energies of about 10 MeV/u. The assembly of the CARIBU EBIS charge breeder except the injection/extraction beam lines has been completed. This summer we started electron beam commissioning of the EBIS. The first results on electron beam extraction, transport from the electron gun to a high power electron collector are presented and discussed.

Fast and efficient charge breeding of the Californium rare isotope breeder upgrade electron beam ion source

The Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS), developed to breed Californium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) radioactive beams at Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS), is being tested off-line. A unique property of the EBIS is a combination of short breeding times, high repetition rates, and a large acceptance. Overall, we have implemented many innovative features during the design and construction of the CARIBU EBIS as compared to the existing EBIS breeders. The off-line charge breeding tests are being performed using a surface ionization source that produces singly charged cesium ions. The main goal of the off-line commissioning is to demonstrate stable operation of the EBIS at a 10 Hz repetition rate and a breeding efficiency into single charge state higher than 15%. These goals have been successfully achieved and exceeded. We have measured (20% ± 0.7%) breeding efficiency into the single charge state of 28+ cesium ions with the breeding time of 28 ms. In general, the current CARIBU EBIS operational parameters can provide charge breeding of any ions in the full mass range of periodic table with high efficiency, short breeding times, and sufficiently low charge-to-mass ratio, 1/6.3 for the heaviest masses, for further acceleration in ATLAS. In this paper, we discuss the parameters of the EBIS and the charge breeding results in a pulsed injection mode with repetition rates up to 10 Hz.

Experimental results on multi-charge-state lebt approach

A multi-charge-state injector for a high-intensity heavy-ion linac is being developed at ANL. The injector consists of an all-permanent magnet ECR ion source [1], a 100 kV platform and a Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT). The latter comprises two 60-degree bending magnets, electrostatic triplets and beam diagnostics stations. At present the injector system allows us to accelerate all ion species up to qtimes100 keV total kinetic energy, where q is the charge state of an ion. In the current installation, the accelerating tube is followed by a 90deg magnet and a beam measurement station [2]. Recently we studied the production of metal ion beams using an oven technique and high intensity light ion beams from the ECR ion. A pepper pot emittance meter based on a scintillator screen has been developed and tested with various CW ion beams. It was found that a Csl (Tl) crystal has a high sensitivity for a variety of ion species from protons to heavy ions with the current densities even below 1 muA/cm2.

Off-line commissioning of EBIS and plans for its integration into ATLAS and CARIBU

An Electron Beam Ion Source Charge Breeder (EBIS-CB) has been developed at Argonne to breed radioactive beams from the CAlifornium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) facility at Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS). The EBIS-CB will replace the existing ECR charge breeder to increase the intensity and significantly improve the purity of reaccelerated radioactive ion beams. The CARIBU EBIS-CB has been successfully commissioned offline with an external singly charged cesium ion source. The performance of the EBIS fully meets the specifications to breed rare isotope beams delivered from CARIBU. The EBIS is being relocated and integrated into ATLAS and CARIBU. A long electrostatic beam transport system including two 180° bends in the vertical plane has been designed. The commissioning of the EBIS and the beam transport system in their permanent location will start at the end of this year.

Heavy ion linear accelerator for radiation damage studies of materials

A new eXtreme MATerial (XMAT) research facility is being proposed at Argonne National Laboratory to enable rapid in situ mesoscale bulk analysis of ion radiation damage in advanced materials and nuclear fuels. This facility combines a new heavy-ion accelerator with the existing high-energy X-ray analysis capability of the Argonne Advanced Photon Source. The heavy-ion accelerator and target complex will enable experimenters to emulate the environment of a nuclear reactor making possible the study of fission fragment damage in materials. Material scientists will be able to use the measured material parameters to validate computer simulation codes and extrapolate the response of the material in a nuclear reactor environment. Utilizing a new heavy-ion accelerator will provide the appropriate energies and intensities to study these effects with beam intensities which allow experiments to run over hours or days instead of years. The XMAT facility will use a CW heavy-ion accelerator capable of providing beams of any stable isotope with adjustable energy up to 1.2 MeV/u for 238U50+ and 1.7 MeV for protons. This energy is crucial to the design since it well mimics fission fragments that provide the major portion of the damage in nuclear fuels. The energy also allows damage to be created far from the surface of the material allowing bulk radiation damage effects to be investigated. The XMAT ion linac includes an electron cyclotron resonance ion source, a normal-conducting radio-frequency quadrupole and four normal-conducting multi-gap quarter-wave resonators operating at 60.625 MHz. This paper presents the 3D multi-physics design and analysis of the accelerating structures and beam dynamics studies of the linac.

Installation and On-Line Commissioning of EBIS at ATLAS

An Electron Beam Ion Source Charge Breeder (EBISCB) has been developed at Argonne to breed radioactive beams from the CAlifornium Rare Ion Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) facility at ATLAS. The CARIBU EBIS-CB has been successfully commissioned offline with an external singly-charged cesium ion source [1]. The EBIS performance meets the breeding requirements to deliver CARIBU beams to ATLAS. EBIS can provide charge-tomass ratios  1/7 for all CARIBU beams with breeding times in the range of 6 ms to 30 ms. A record high breeding efficiency of up to 28% into a single charge state of Cs28+ has been demonstrated. Following the offline testing EBIS was moved to the front end of ATLAS where the alignment of EBIS was substantially improved and additional beam diagnostic tools both for electron and ion beams were installed. This paper will discuss EBIS improvements and present the results of on-line commissioning.

Charge Breeding Experiences with an ECR and an EBIS for CARIBU

The efficient and rapid production of a high-quality, pure beam of highly charged ions is at the heart of any radioactive ion beam facility. An ECR charge breeder, as part of the Californium Rare Ion Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) program at Argonne National Laboratory, was developed to fulfil this role. The charge breeding efficiency and high charge state production of the source are at the forefront of ECR charge breeders, but its overall performance as part of the accelerator system is limited by a pervasive stable ion background and relatively long breeding times. Steps have been taken to reduce the level of background contamination but have met with limited success. As such, an EBIS charge breeder has been developed and is now running in an off-line configuration. It has already demonstrated good breeding efficiencies, shorter residence times, and reduced background, and it is scheduled to replace the ECR charge breeder in late 2015. The resultant change in duty cycle and time structure necessitates changes to the overall facility operation. The experiences with these breeders – their strengths and their weaknesses will be discussed.

A new 2 Kelvin superconducting half-wave cavity Cryomodule for PIP-II

Argonne National Laboratory has developed and is implementing a novel 2 K superconducting cavity cryomodule operating at 162.5 MHz. This cryomodule is designed for the acceleration of 2 mA H-/proton beams from 2.1 to 10 MeV as part of the Fermilab Proton Improvement Project-II (PIP-II). This work is an evolution of techniques recently implemented in two previous heavy-ion accelerator cryomodules now operating at Argonne National Laboratory. The 2 K cryomodule is comprised of 8 half-wave cavities operated in the continuous wave mode with 8 superconducting magnets, one in front of each cavity. All of the solenoids and cavities operate off of a single gravity fed 2 K helium cryogenic system expected to provide up to 50 W of 2 K cooling. Here we review the mechanical design of the cavities and cryomodule which were developed using methods similar to those required in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. This will include an overview of the cryomodule layout, the alignment of the accelerator components via modifications of the cryomodule vacuum vessel and provide a status report on the cryomodule assembly.