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Improved ECR Charge Breeder for Rare Ion
Species—Scientific Solutions,
Dr. Wayne D. Cornelius,
Dr. Wayne D. Cornelius, Business
Official, wcornelius@ssolutions.cc
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-04ER84066
Amount:
$700,000
Conventional
electron-cyclotron resonance (ECR) charge breeders, used to create beams of
rare ion species as part of the DOE Nuclear Physics program, have gravitated
towards higher frequencies and smaller plasma chambers. However, the smaller plasma chambers
exacerbate the problems of plasma interactions with the walls and complicate the
injection of rare ion species.
Increasing the physical dimensions of the plasma chamber should improve
the performance. This project seeks to
accomplish this goal by developing a charge breeder based on lower frequency
operation. Lower frequencies require
lower magnetic fields, provide additional volume for larger plasma chambers,
and improve the acceptance phase space for injected rare ion species. Phase I created a solid model of a charge
breeder using a modular design, which facilitates the easy replacement and/or
substitution of major subsystems and components. The
device also can be used as a test bed for further development. In Phase II, the cyberspace design of the
charge breeder will be converted into hardware.
Commercial Applications
And Other Benefits as described by the awardee:
Improvements in the
efficiency of converting rare and short-lived radioactive ion species into ion beams
for further acceleration is crucial to the future of the Nuclear