E. A. Meyer

Status report on a dc 130 mA, 75 keV proton injector (invited)

A 110 mA, 75 keV dc proton injector is being developed at Los Alamos. A microwave proton source is coupled to a two solenoid, space-charge neutralized, low-energy beam transport (LEBT) system. The ion source produces 110 mA proton current at 75 keV using 600–800 W of 2.45 GHz discharge power. Typical proton fraction is 85%–90% of the total extracted ion current, and the rms normalized beam emittance after transport through a prototype 2.1 m LEBT is 0.20 (πmm mrad). Beam space-charge neutralization is measured to be >98% which enables the solenoid magnetic transport to successfully match the injector beam into a radio-frequency quadrupole. Beam simulations indicate small emittance growth in the proposed 2.8 m low-energy demonstration accelerator LEBT. The LEBT also contains beam diagnostics, steering, and a beam deflector for variable duty factor and accelerator fast protect functions. The injector beam availability status is also discussed.

A 14 MeV intense neutron source facility

Abstract The 14 MeV Intense Neutron Source facility being built at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory will use a tritium ion beam and a deuterium jet target to produce 10 15 n/s.

Microwave proton source development for a high‐current linac injector (invited)a)

Powerful CW proton linear accelerators (100-mA at 0.5--1.0 GeV) are being proposed for spallation neutron-source applications. A 75-keV, 110-mA dc proton injector using a microwave ion source is being tested for these applications. It has achieved 80-keV, 110-mA hydrogen-ion-beam operation. Video and dc beam-current toroid diagnostics are operational, and an EPICS control system is also operational on the 75-keV injector. A technical base development program has also been carried out on a 50-keV injector obtained from Chalk River Laboratories, and it includes low-energy beam transport studies, ion source lifetime tests, and proton-fraction enhancement studies. Technical base results and the present status of the 75-keV injector will be presented.

Design and testing of a DC ion injector suitable for accelerator‐driven transmutation

For a number of years, Los Alamos personnel have collaborated with a team of experimentalists at Chalk River Labs (CRL) near Deep River, Ontario, Canada who were pursuing the development of the front end of a high power cw proton accelerator. At the termination of this program last year, Los Alamos acquired this equipment. With the help of internal Laboratory funding and modest defense conversion funds, we have set up and operated the accelerator at Los Alamos. Operational equipment includes a slightly modified Chalk River Injector Test Stand (CRITS) including a 50 keV proton injector and a 1.25 MeV radio‐frequency quadrupole (RFQ) with a klystrode rf power system. Substantial upgrading and modification of the ac power system was necessary to provide the required ac voltage (2400 vac) and power (2 MVA) needed for the operation of this equipment. A companion paper describes in detail the first ion source and beam‐transport measurements at Los Alamos. Many of the challenges involved in operating an rf linea...

Development of a 130-mA, 75-kV high voltage column for high-intensity dc proton injectors

A reliable high-voltage (HV) column has been developed for dc proton injectors with applications to high-intensity cw linacs. The HV column is coupled with a microwave-driven plasma generator to produce a 75-keV, 110-mA dc proton beam. Typical proton fraction from this source is 85--90%, requiring the HV column and accelerating electrodes to operate with a 130-mA hydrogen-ion beam current. A glow-discharge, which was caused by the ion source axial magnetic field, was initially observed in the HV column. This problem was solved by scaling the electron production processes, the magnetic field, and the HV column pressure into a favorable regime. A subsequent 168 hour reliability run on the 75-keV injector showed that the ion source (plasma generator and HV column) has >98% beam availability.

Performance Optimization of a Cusp-Field Ion Source and High-Perveance Extractor

The injector for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) Facility must deliver a 110-mA dc beam of deuterons or H2+ ions to the radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) accelerator at 75-keV energy. Operational parameters of a hydrogen-fed cusp-field ion source and a high-perveance extractor have been evaluated on a test stand and on the recently completed first stage of the prototype injector (Fig. 1).

Ion Source Development for the los Alamos Heavy Ion Fusion Injector

A multi-beam injector is being designed and built at Los Alamos for the U.S. Heavy Ion Fusion Program [1]. As part of this program, development of an aluminum-spark, pulsed plasma source is being carried out. Faraday cup diagnostics are used to study current emission and to map the current profile. An aluminum oxide scintillator with photographic film is used in conjunction with a pepper-pot to obtain time integrated emittance values.

Progress Report on Testing of a 100-kV 125-mA Deuteron Injector

The Linear Accelerator to be used for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility (FMIT) will require an injection energy of 100 keV at a dc current level of 125 mA. Studies are being made on a pre-prototype version of this injector, including performance tests of both a single aperture reflexarc ion source and a cusp-field source. A single stage, high-gradient extraction system is used prior to mass analysis in a 90° bending magnet. A two-stage beam steering device to measure beam emittance under full beam power has been designed and constructed. To avoid production of neutrons, all prototype tests are run with H2+ ions rather than D+ ions.

Mechanical engineering of a 75-keV proton injector for the Low Energy Demonstration Accelerator

A dc injector capable of 75-keV, 110-mA proton beam operation is under development for the Low Energy Demonstration Accelerator (LEDA) project at Los Alamos. The injector uses a dc microwave proton source which has demonstrated 98% beam availability while operating at design parameters. A high-voltage isolation transformer is avoided by locating all ion source power supplies and controls at ground potential. The low-energy beam transport system (LEBT) uses two solenoid focusing and two steering magnets for beam matching and centroid control at the RFQ matchpoint. This paper will discuss proton source microwave window design, H/sub 2/ gas flow control, vacuum considerations, LEBT design, and an iris for beam current control.

Design Status of Heavy Ion Injector Program

Design and development of a sixteen beam, heavy ion injector is in progress at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to demonstrate the injector technology for the High Temperature Experiment (HTE) proposed by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. The injector design provides for individual ion sources mounted to a support plate defining the sixteen beam array. The beamlets are electrostatically accelerated through a series of electrodes inside an evacuated (10-7 torr) high voltage (HV) accelerating column. The column consists of two 28-inch diameter insulator modules made of 85 percent A1203 ceramic rings brazed to niobium feedthrough rings to which the electrodes are mechanically attached. Field shaping is used to minimize electron avalanche induced flashover along the inside surface of the ceramic rings. The column is self-supporting and is cantilevered from one end of the containment vessel. A brazed assembly was chosen to provide the required bond strength and high vacuum capability. The HV pulsed power supply is a 2MV Marx generator cantilevered from the opposite end of the containment vessel. The stainless steel pressure vessel (PV) contains a 65 psig mixture of SF6(30%) and nitrogen (70%) to provide the electrical insulation.