Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “ion source”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 235 records · Page 13

Delivery of H - / H + Beams to Area A

We explore the relative merits of transporting the beam from the H + ion source and from the H - ion source to Area-A for low current applications. Transporting the H - beam to Area-A using the laser neutralization approach has some risk associated with it and will require some development. Alternative method of delivering H - beam to Area-A includes replacing LDBM00 bending magnet with kicker for sharing beam between Line D and modified Line A. Transporting the H + beam to Area-A will have significant impact on the operation the IPF facility and maintaining high pulse rate to IPF will require major modifications to the transition region of the accelerator and Drift Tube Linac.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Design and Study of Inductively Coupled Plasma Chamber Components Using the SupRISE Test Device at DIII-D

The DIII-D National Fusion Facility aims to increase the auxiliary heating power for the tokamak by upgrading the Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) system. In collaboration with North Carolina State University, the conventional ‘arc and filament’ NBI ion sources will be converted to inductively coupled plasma (ICP) sources which utilize radio frequency (RF) coupling to maximize reliability for high power operation. In support of this initiative, a full scale test device (SupRISE, Superior Radiofrequency Ion Source Experiment) is currently under construction at the DIII-D Facility. In preparation for the construction of a full scale prototype that can be installed on the DIII-D NBI system, experiments on SupRISE will be conducted to determine the optimal RF frequency for high power coupling, Faraday shield slit configuration, and ICP chamber length. SupRISE is comprised of an approximately 30 x 70 cm quartz dielectric vessel with an internal Faraday shield enclosed in a secondary vacuum chamber to ensure structural stability of the dielectric. Actively cooled front and back plates are designed to reduce the thermal stresses on the plasma facing components and mate with the existing accelerator used by the NBI system at DIII-D. 50 kW of RF power will be coupled to the plasma through the quartz over a variable frequency range of 4-8 MHz to sustain a plasma density of ∼ 10 18 m −3 for a 10 s ON, 210 s OFF duty cycle. Various modelling efforts have been employed to simulate the thermal and stress profiles over the primary components of the SupRISE device as well as the inductance behavior of the RF antenna. These simulation results and the final design for SupRISE will be presented. An additional reduced-scale predecessor ICP source (called RISE) has been used to develop a predictive match model that will be applied to frequency optimization studies on SupRISE. Furthermore, the outcomes of this research and complementary efforts at North Carolina State University are essential for the incorporation of ICP NBI positive ion sources at the DIII-D facility.

DIII-D↗

The use of an ion-beam source to alter the surface morphology of biological implant materials

An electron-bombardment ion-thruster was used as a neutralized-ion-beam sputtering source to texture the surfaces of biological implant materials. The materials investigated included 316 stainless steel; titanium-6% aluminum, 4% vanadium; cobalt-20% chromium, 15% tungsten; cobalt-35% nickel, 20% chromium, 10% molybdenum; polytetrafluoroethylene; polyoxymethylene; silicone and polyurethane copolymer; 32%-carbon-impregnated polyolefin; segmented polyurethane; silicone rubber; and alumina. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine surface morphology changes of all materials after ion-texturing. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis was used to determine the effects of ion-texturing on the surface chemical composition of some polymers. Liquid contact angle data were obtained for ion-textured and untextured polymer samples. Results of tensile and fatigue tests of ion-textured metal alloys are presented. Preliminary data of tissue response to ion-textured surfaces of some metals, polytetrafluoroethylene, alumina, and segmented polyurethane have been obtained.

Weigand, A. J.↗

Neutron generator based on intense lithium beam driver

We are proposing a compact neutron generator based on a Li beam driver. The proposed neutron generator comprises a laser ion source, a radio-frequency quadrupole linear accelerator (RFQ linac), a drift tube linac, and a target containing protons. In the generator, the lithium ion is used as a projectile instead of protons to utilize the kinematic focusing technique. The technique enables us to enhance the neutron flux without increasing the beam energy, which is important to develop a clean compact neutron generator. Moreover, the combination of a laser ion source and a RFQ linac with the direct plasma injection scheme will provide several tens of mA of a fully ionized lithium beam, which is much higher than that of conventional heavy ion sources comparable with proton drivers. Neutrons are generated by the nuclear reaction of the lithium ions and protons in the beam target. In this paper, we reported the current status of the development. For RFQ, we designed the RFQ rods to accelerate 40 mA of 7Li3+. We fabricated and installed the rods into a cavity, and, as a first test, accelerated 10 mA of C6+ successfully.

Ikeda, Shunsuke (ORCID:0000000339800577)↗

Study on ion current density of different species in laser produced plasma in a solenoid magnet

A solenoid magnetic field along the expanding laser-produced plasma is an essential technique of the laser ion source. The solenoid field can increase ion beam current at beam extraction point by a factor of 2 to over 100 by confining moving laser produced plasma in transverse direction. This technique is used everywhere from development lab to operational machine for user operation. However, the motion of ions in laser produced plasma is not fully understood. In this study, we experimentally investigated the motion of ions in a solenoid magnet (inner diameter 102 mm, coil length 1980 mm) for Al, Fe, and Ta targets. Using the following three conditions: full solenoid bore, a φ51 mm collimator on the solenoid axis, and a thin-wall φ51 mm tube at the bottom of the solenoid, we found that extracting ions at off-axis position (20~30 mm from the solenoid axis in this study) can enhance ion intensity by a factor of three or more. We continue to investigate ion motion in a solenoid field to develop better laser ion source design.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Plasma jet effects on the ionospheric plasma

Heavy ion beams were injected into the ionospheric plasma (experiments ARCS 1 and ARCS 2). In ARCS 1, operation of a 25eV argon ion source, mounted on a plasma diagnostic payload, produced an accelerated electron population; broadband electric field turbulence; large, spin synchronized electric field perturbations; and depletions of thermal ions. In ARCS 2, the ion source was deployed upward along the local magnetic field direction away from the diagnostic payload, and observed effects are contained within several meters of the ion source. However, enhanced wave levels near the LHR frequency are observed at distances up to 1 km, as are the injected ions themselves. A measurement of the dominant wavelength of the enhanced waves is consistent with an inference based upon the accelerated electron population seen in ARCS 1. This electron population is not evident during ARCS 2.

Moore, T. E.↗

Ion beam treatment of potential space materials at the NASA Lewis Research Center

Ion source systems in different configurations, have been used to generate unique morphologies for several NASA space applications. The discharge chamber of a 30 cm ion source was successfully used to texture potential space radiator materials for the purpose of obtaining values of thermal emittance greater than 0.85 at 700 and 900 K. High absorptance surfaces were obtained using ion beam seed texturing, for space radiator materials that were flown on the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) for 5.8 years in space. An ion source discharge chamber was also used to develop electrode surfaces with suppressed secondary electron emission characteristics for use in collectors in microwave amplifier traveling wave tubes. This was accomplished by sputtering textured carbon onto copper as well as texturing copper using tantalum and molybdenum as sacrificial texture inducing seeding materials. In a third configuration, a dual ion beam system was used to generate high transmittance diamondlike carbon (DLC) films.

Kussmaul, Michael↗

Status of CHIP-TRAP: The Central Michigan University High-Precision Penning Trap

Precise and accurate atomic mass data provide crucial information for applications in a wide range of fields in physics and beyond, including astrophysics, nuclear structure, particle and neutrino physics, fundamental symmetries, chemistry, and metrology. The most precise atomic mass measurements are performed on charged particles confined in a Penning trap. Here, we describe the development, status, and outlook of CHIP-TRAP: the Central Michigan University high-precision Penning trap. CHIP-TRAP aims to perform ultra-high precision (~1 part in 10 11 fractional precision) mass measurements on stable and long-lived isotopes produced with external ion sources and transported to the Penning traps. Along the way, ions of a particular m/q are selected with a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass separator (MR-TOF-MS), with further filtering performed in a cylindrical capture trap before the ions are transported to a pair of hyperbolic measurement traps. In this paper, we report on the design and status of CHIP-TRAP and present results from the commissioning of the ion sources, MR-TOF-MS, and capture trap. We also provide an outlook on the continued development and commissioning of CHIP-TRAP.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Salt Effects on Li-Ion Exchange Kinetics of Na 2 Mg 2 P 3 O 9 N: Systematic In Situ Synchrotron Diffraction Studies

The kinetics and thermodynamics of solid-state ion exchange of Li+ into Na2Mg2P3O9N were investigated using in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction methods for a series of Li-containing salts, allowing systematic trends with general applicability to ion exchange reactions to be elucidated. The collection of data for a wide range of reaction conditions was enabled through the use of a novel multiwell sample environment which leverages the ability of the synchrotron beamline to rapidly (similar to 1 s) collect high-quality data suitable for monitoring reaction progress. From these data, it was possible to resolve the influence of salt choice and salt concentration on the ion exchange reaction kinetics. Furthermore, by carrying out experiments at different temperatures, initial estimates of activation energies were obtained. It was generally found that the ion exchange reaction kinetics strongly depended on the salt chosen as the ion source rather than being primarily determined by the ion mobility of the ceramic.

Cosby, Monty R.↗

High Brightness High Duty Factor Negative Ion Beam Injector [Slides]

The high brightness negative ion injector combines multiple individual low-duty-factor H- ion sources (multiplexing) in a manner that allows flexibility in final pulse format and beam duty factor up to CW and increases reliability by eliminating an otherwise single-point failure usually associated with using a single ion source. The multiplexing of multiple beams in new injector system also preserves the beam quality of each individual ion source, eliminating a significant source of beam quality degradation usually associated with combining beams.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Diagnostics for multiple frequency heating and investigation of underlying processes

The development of new facilities routinely challenges ion source designers to build and operate sources that can achieve ever higher beam intensities and energies. As shown in this work, electron cyclotron resonance ion sources have proven to be extremely capable in meeting these challenges through the production of intense beams of medium and high-charge state ions. As performance boundaries are pushed, source stability becomes an issue as does the technology required to meet the challenge. Multiple frequency heating, the simultaneous use of two or more plasma heating frequencies, is a powerful tool in meeting the simultaneous need of intensity and stability. Relatively straightforward to utilize, the technique has been employed at numerous facilities to increase beam current and achievable charge state while also stabilizing the plasma. Its application has expanded the operational boundaries of existing and next generation sources, demonstrating that these devices have not yet achieved their full operational potential. To better understand the underlying physics, the diagnostics used to probe the source operational boundaries and the plasma properties have become increasingly sophisticated. In concert with detailed modeling, they are beginning to provide insight into the heating mechanism and, with that, the prospect of future advances.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Results of Speciation Determination Measurements of Insulating Sulfur Hexafluoride Gas

Under the direction of the NNSA NA-231 Mo-99 Program, SRNL has provided technical assistance to U.S. companies under cooperative agreements. One such area of technical assistance has been for the recommendation for contamination management methods in the eventuality that tritium contaminates the insulating gas of a high-voltage ion source used in the accelerator-based process developed by SHINE Medical Technologies to produce Mo-99. The SHINE accelerator process uses tritium as the target of a deuterium ion beam, where the ion beam is produced within a high-voltage ion source insulated with sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ), and is separated from the tritium target by an extensive pump train. Normal operating conditions preclude the conditions necessary for contamination of the insulating gas, however certain atypical conditions could result in a tritium contamination event. Accelerator based processes for medical isotope production represent an anomalous tritium contamination challenge due to the presence of SF 6 . SF 6 decomposes through normal use as an insulator gas, and the exact speciation of the decomposition byproducts depends on a variety of factors. This creates a scenario where the anticipation of species present in the insulating gas mixture is difficult. In turn, the fate of tritium within such a chemical system is unclear. This document discusses the results of measurements made in-situ of the SF 6 insulating gas in use within a SHINE Medical Technology’s high-voltage ion source. This was done in an effort to determine the chemical speciation of the gas, allowing for the recommendation of management strategies in the event that tritium contaminates the insulating gas. The results of the measurements reported in this work suggest that tritium contamination in the insulating gas may result in two chemical forms of tritium in the system, tritiated water and molecular tritium. These two forms of tritium would be captured by two methods. Tritiated water may be captured and removed from the SF 6 by an adsorbent canister already present within the pressure vessel that houses the insulating gas while in use. It may also be separated from the SF 6 during routine purification of the SF 6 , which is performed by SHINE personnel routinely. The purification cart will perform all non-embedded systems cleanup necessary to remediate tritiated species in the system. The purification cart passes the insulating gas through several filters, followed by the liquefication of the SF 6 . The filters will separate tritiated water from the SF 6 at this stage. It is expected that molecular tritium will accumulate in the gas-phase during the liquification step, which is separated and stored. Tritium may be recovered from this mixture through more conventional hydrogen purification methods such as a palladium diffuser.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

The impact of gas-surface reactions on mass spectrometric measurements of atomic nitrogen

The paper presents a simplified model of the ion source chemistry, explains several details of the data reduction method used in obtaining atomic-nitrogen (N) densities from OSS data, and discusses implications of gas-surface reactions for the design of future satellite-borne mass spectrometers. Because of various surface reactions, N appears in three different forms in the ion source, as N, NO, and NO2. Considering the rather small spin modulation of NO and NO2 in the semi-open ionization chamber used in the OSS instrument, it is not surprising that these reaction products have not been previously identified in closed source instruments as a measure of the presence of atomic nitrogen. Warmup and/or outgassing of the ion source are shown to drastically reduce the NO2 concentration, thereby making possible reliable measurement of ambient N densities.

Engebretson, M. J.↗

Radio frequency power load and associated method

A radio frequency power load and associated method. A radio frequency power load apparatus includes a container and a fluid having an ion source therein, the fluid being contained in the container. Two conductors are immersed in the fluid. A radio frequency transmission system includes a radio frequency transmitter, a radio frequency amplifier connected to the transmitter and a radio frequency power load apparatus connected to the amplifier. The apparatus includes a fluid having an ion source therein, and two conductors immersed in the fluid. A method of dissipating power generated by a radio frequency transmission system includes the steps of: immersing two conductors of a radio frequency power load apparatus in a fluid having an ion source therein; and connecting the apparatus to an amplifier of the transmission system.

Sims, III, William Herbert↗

Charge breeders: Development of diagnostic tools to probe the underlying physics

Charge breeders were developed more than 20 years ago in the context of radioactive ion beam (RIB) production. The main goal is to boost the charge state of a singly charged RIB to a higher value matching the A/Q of a post-accelerator. In that way, the RIB produced at some tens of keV can efficiently be accelerated to energies in a range of few MeV/u up to several tens of MeV/u, which is of interest for nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics experiments. Two families of charge breeders have been developed: one based on Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources (ECRISs) suitable for Continuous Wave (CW) operation and another built around Electron Beam Ion Sources (EBISs) used for pulsed post-accelerators. For many years, experimental studies have been carried out to enhance the charge breeding process and improve the extracted beam quality, i.e., purity, intensity, emittance, and time structure. The evolution of the charge breeders is also closely related to the emergence of new facilities delivering even more exotic beams. Diagnostic tools, such as Faraday cups, beam profile monitors, and emittance scanners, are mandatory to tune the machines and evaluate their performances. However, to go beyond that, a better understanding of plasma physics (in ECRIS) and electron-ion interactions (in EBIS), as well as the 1+ beam characteristics, for instance, energy spread transverse emittance, is needed. Therefore, simulation codes modeling the physics phenomena in both type of charge breeders were developed to support the understanding of experimental outputs and to gain insights into non-observable parameters. Nevertheless, more sophisticated diagnostic tools are required to improve the charge breeding performance and to extend the potential applications toward new RIB facilities. This Review will present the two kinds of charge breeders and their technical evolutions. It will review the diagnostic tools and simulation codes employed for operation and evaluation of the internal physics processes.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Development of an apparatus for obtaining molecular beams in the energy range from 2 to 200 eV

The formation and detection of molecular beams obtained by charge exchange from a low-energy ion source is discussed. Dispersion in energy of the ion source was measured and problems concerning detection of neutral beams were studied. Various methods were used, specifically secondary electron emissivity of a metallic surface and ionization of a gas target with a low ionization voltage. The intensities of neutral beams as low as 10 eV are measured by a tubular electron multiplier and a lock-in amplifier.

Clapier, R.↗