Search

This paper is the fifth in a series of articles on the basic physics of light yield nonproportionality in scintillators. Here, we compare and contrast the nonproportionality as registered by gamma rays and high-energy electrons. As has been noted in the past, these two types of data have different curve shapes (for plots of the light yield against electron or gamma energy). Herein, we show how the experimental gamma nonproportionality curve can be calculated from the electron response by accounting for the distribution of high energy electrons created by the gamma photon via the photoelectric interaction. Similarly, we measure and model the gamma-induced resolution as a function of energy and compare this data to predictions from our model. The utility of the model is explored using data acquired with the scintillators ${\rm SrI}_{2}$ (Eu), GYGAG(Ce) and CsI(Na).

Transparent polycrystalline ceramic scintillators based on the garnet structure and incorporating gadolinium for high stopping power are being developed for use in gamma spectrometers. Optimization of energy resolution for gamma spectroscopy involves refining the material composition for high stopping and high light yield, developing ceramics fabrication methodology for material homogeneity, as well as selecting the size and geometry of the scintillator to match the photodetector characteristics and readout electronics. We have demonstrated energy resolution of 4% at 662 keV for 0.05 cm3 GYGAG(Ce) ceramics with photodiode readout, and 4.9% resolution at 662 keV for 18 cm 3 GYGAG(Ce) ceramics and PMT readout. Comparative gamma spectra acquired with GYGAG(Ce) and NaI(Tl) depict the higher resolution of GYGAG(Ce) for radioisotope identification applications. Light yield non-proportionality of garnets fabricated following different methods reveal that the fundamental shapes of the light yield dependence on energy are not intrinsic to the crystal structure, but may instead depend on trap state distributions. With exposure to 9 MeV Brehmsstrahlung radiation, we also find that GYGAG(Ce) ceramics exhibit excellent radiation hardness.

The planned rare isotope accelerator facility RIA in the US would become the most powerful radioactive beam facility in the world. RIA's driver accelerator will be a device capable of providing beams from protons to uranium at energies of at least 400 MeV per nucleon, with beam power up to 400 kW. Radioactive beam production relies on both the in-flight separation of fast beam fragments and on the ISOL technique. In both cases the high beam power poses major challenges for target technology and handling and on the design of the beam production areas. This paper will give a brief overview of RIA and discuss aspects of ongoing conceptual design work for the RIA target areas.

A batch mode process has been developed to produce a 76 Kr ( T 1 / 2 = 14.8 h) radioactive ion beam at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 88-in. Cyclotron. First, a 6 particle μA α beam is run for 17 h to produce approximately 10 14 76 Kr atoms via the reaction 74 Se(α, 2n) 76 Kr. Then, the krypton is separated from the target material and injected into the AECR-U ion source. Beam intensities as high as 3×10 8 particles per second are observed with an integrated beam current of 6(2)×10 11 particles per 24-h batch cycle.

The Heavy Ion Fusion Group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has for several years been developing the world's first circular ion induction accelerator designed for space-charge-dominated beams. Experiments on one quarter of the ring have been completed. The accelerator extended 10 half-lattice periods (HLP) with induction cores for acceleration placed on every other HLP. A network of Capacitive Beam Probes (C-probes) was also enabled for beam position monitoring throughout the bend section. These C-probes have been instrumental in steering experiments, implementation of the acceleration stages and the dipole pulser, and the first attempts at coordinated bending and acceleration. Data from these experiments and emittance measurements will be presented.

Typical designs for a Heavy Ion Fusion Power Plant require the source injector to deliver 100 beams, packed into an array with a spacing of 7 cm. When designing source injectors using a single large aperture source for each beam, the emitter surfaces are packed into an array with a spacing of 30 cm. Thus, the matching section of the source injector must not only prepare the beam for transport in a FODO lattice, but also funnel the beams together. This can be accomplished by an ESQ matching section in which each beam travels on average at a slight angle to the axis of the quadrupoles and uses the focussing effect of the FODO lattice to maintain the angle. At the end of the matching section, doublet steering is used to bring the beams parallel to each other for injection into the main accelerator. A specific solution of this type for an 84-beam source injector is presented. PACS: 41.75.Ak,41.85.Ar, 41.85.Ja

We describe the goals and research program leading to the Heavy Ion Integrated Research Experiment (IRE). We review the basic constraints which lead to a design and give examples of parameters and capabilities of an IRE. We also show design tradeoffs generated by the systems code IBEAM.

Experiments with reaccelerated beams are an essential component of the science program of existing and future rare isotope beam facilities. NSCL is currently constructing ReA3, a reaccelerator for rare isotopes that have been produced by projectile fragmentation and in-flight fission and that have been thermalized in a gas stopper. The resulting low-energy beam will be brought to an Electron Beam Ion Source/Trap (EBIS/T) in order to obtain highly charged ions at an energy of 12 keV/u. This charge breeder is followed by a compact linear accelerator with a maximum beam energy of 3 MeV/u for 238U and higher energies for lighter isotopes. Next-generation rare isotope beam facilities like the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams FRIB, but also existing Isotope Separator On-line (ISOL) facilities are expected to provide rare-isotope beam rates in the order of 1011 particles per second for reacceleration. At present the most promising scheme to efficiently start the reacceleration of these intense beams is the use of a next-generation high-current charge-breeder based on an EBIS/T. MSU has formed a collaboration to develop an EBIT for this purpose. A new high-current EBIS/T breeder will be developed and constructed at MSU, where also first tests on achievable beam rate capability will be performed. The EBIT is planned to be installed at the Isotope Separator and Accelerator facility ISAC at TRIUMF laboratory for on-line tests with rare isotope beams and to provide intense energetic reaccelerated radioactive beams. The status of the ReA3-EBIS/T in the NSCL reaccelerator project is given with a brief summary of results, followed by a discussion of plans for the future high-intensity EBIS/T charge breeder.

Accelerator-based neutron sources offer many advantages, in particular tunability of the neutron beam in energy and width to match the needs of the application. Using a recently constructed neutron beam line at the 88-Inch Cyclotron at LBNL, tunable high-intensity sources of quasi-monoenergetic and broad spectrum neutrons from deuteron breakup are under development for a variety of applications.

Next-generation exotic beam facilities will offer several approaches to produce rare isotopes far from stability. One approach is Isotope Separation On-line, ISOL, which is the isotope production by interactions of light ion beams with heavy nuclei of targets. A pre-conceptual design of an ISOL target station was done as part of the research and development work for the Rare Isotope Accelerator, RIA. This report summarizes results of radiation calculations for the RIA ISOL target station. This includes radiation effects such as prompt radiation at the target station and from neutron sky-shine, activation of ground water, air, and components.

The Heavy Ion Fusion Group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has for several years been developing the world's first circular ion induction accelerator designed to transport space charge dominated beams. Currently, the machine extends to 90 degrees, or 10 half-lattice periods (HLP) with induction cores for acceleration placed on every other HLP. Full current transport with acceptable emittance growth without acceleration has been achieved. Recently, a time stability measurement revealed a 2% energy change with time due to a source heating effect. Correcting for this and conducting steering experiments has ascertained the energy to an accuracy of 0.2%. In addition, the charge centroid is maintained to within 0.6-mm throughout the bend section. Initial studies of matches dependencies on beam quality indicate significant effects.

The promise of inertial fusion energy driven by heavy ion beams requires the development of accelerators that produce ion currents (/spl sim/100's Amperes/beam) and ion energies (/spl sim/1 - 10 GeV) that have not been achieved simultaneously in any existing accelerator. The high currents imply high generalized perveances, large tune depressions, and high space charge potentials of the beam center relative to the beam pipe. Many of the scientific issues associated with ion beams of high perveance and large tune depression have been addressed over the last two decades on scaled experiments at Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, the University of Maryland, and elsewhere. The additional requirement of high space charge potential (or equivalently high line charge density) gives rise to effects (particularly the role of electrons in beam transport) which must be understood before proceeding to a large scale accelerator. The first phase of a new series of experiments in the Heavy Ion Fusion Virtual National Laboratory (HIF VNL), the High Current Experiments (HCX), is now beginning at LBNL. The mission of the HCX is to transport beams with driver line charge density so as to investigate the physics of this regime, including constraints on the maximum radial filling factor of the beam through the pipe. This factor is important for determining both cost and reliability of a driver scale accelerator. The HCX will provide data for design of the next steps in the sequence of experiments leading to an inertial fusion energy power plant. The focus of the program after the HCX will be on integration of all of the manipulations required for a driver. In the near term following HCX, an Integrated Beam Experiment (IBX) of the same general scale as the HCX is envisioned. The step which bridges the gap between the IBX and an engineering test facility for fusion has been designated the Integrated Research Experiment (IRE). The IRE (like the IBX) will provide an integrated test of the beam physics necessary for a driver, but in addition will provide target and chamber data. This paper will review the experimental and theoretical progress in heavy ion accelerator driver research from the scaled experiments through the present experiments and will discuss plans for the IRE.

The U.S. Heavy Ion Fusion Virtual National Laboratory is continuing research into ion sources and injectors that simultaneously provide high current (0.5–1.0 A) and high brightness (normalized emittance better than 1.0 π-mm-mr). The central issue of focus is whether to continue pursuing the traditional approach of large surface ionization sources or to adopt a multiaperture approach that transports many smaller “beamlets” separately at low energies before allowing them to merge. For the large surface source concept, the recent commissioning of the 2-MeV injector for the High Current eXperiment has increased our understanding of the beam quality limitations for these sources. We have also improved our techniques for fabricating large diameter aluminosilicate sources to improve lifetime and emission uniformity. For the multiaperture approach, we are continuing to study the feasibility of small surface sources and a RF-induced plasma source in preparation for beamlet merging experiments, while continuing to run computer simulations for better understanding of this alternate concept. Experiments into both architectures will be performed on a newly commissioned ion source test stand at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory called STS-500. This stand test provides a platform for testing a variety of ion sources and accelerating structures with 500-kV, 17-μs pulses. Recent progress in these areas is discussed as well as plans for future experiments.

The Source Injector Program for the U.S. Heavy Ion Fusion Virtual National Laboratory is currently exploring the feasibility of using RF gas plasma sources for a HIF driver. This source technology is presently the leading candidate for the multiple aperture concept, in which bright millimeter size beamlets are extracted and accelerated electrostatically up to 1 MeV before the beamlets are allowed to merge and form 1 A beams. Initial experiments have successfully demonstrated simultaneously high current density, /spl sim/100 mA/cm/sup 2/, and fast turn on, /spl sim/1 /spl mu/s. These experiments were also used to explore operating ranges for pressure and RF power. Results from these experiments are presented as well as progress and plans for the next set of experiments for these sources.

In a typical heavy ion fusion driver design, the induction linac requires a multiple beam injector. We present a conceptual design for an 84-beam injector system with each beam channel carrying 0.5 A of beam current. Each channel starts with a 10-cm diameter surface ionization source followed by a 1.7 MV electrostatic Einzel lens-type preaccelerator and an electrostatic quadrupole (ESQ) matching section. The preaccelerator and matching section are 0.7 m and 5.0 m long respectively. The array has an overall diameter of 3.0 m at the ion source end and 1.0 m diameter at the exit.

As part of the work building a small heavy-ion induction accelerator ring, or recirculator, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a diagnostic device measuring the four-dimensional transverse phase space of the beam in just a single pulse has been developed. This device, the Gated Beam Imager (GBI), consists of a thin plate filled with an array of 100-micron diameter holes and uses a Micro Channel Plate (MCP), a phosphor screen, and a CCD camera to image the beam particles that pass through the holes after they have drifted for a short distance. By time gating the MCP, the time evolution of the beam can also be measured, with each time step requiring a new pulse.