Abstract Metals can be injected into electron cyclotron resonance ion sources (ECRIS) via different techniques, among which resistive ovens are used to vaporize neutral materials, later captured by ...the energetic plasma that will step-wise ionize them, hence giving multiply charged ion beams for accelerators. Recently, PANDORA, a novel ECR plasma trap, has been conceived to perform interdisciplinary research spanning from nuclear physics to astrophysics, where in-plasma high charge states of metallic species are demanded. However, a full knowledge on the vaporization method and on the coupling of neutral atoms with plasma and its overall dynamics is still not available. Simulations, hence, are of fundamental relevance to improve the overall efficiency, reduce consumption of rare expensive isotopes, and to improve the ion source performance. We present a numerical study about metallic species suitable for oven injection in ECRIS, focusing on metals diffusion, transport, and wall deposition under molecular flow regime. We studied the metal dynamics with and without plasma. Results underline the plasma role on a space-dependent conversion yield, reflecting the strongly inhomogeneous ECR plasma. The plasma and its parameters have been modelled using an established self-consistent particle-in-cell model. The numerical tool is conceived for the PANDORA plasma trap but can be extended to other ECR plasmas and traps. As test cases we studied the 134 Cs and 48 Ca radioisotopes, as metals of interest for the modern nuclear physics. A focus is given on the β -decaying 134 Cs, as an application case for PANDORA, providing quantitative estimates of the γ-detection signal-poisoning effect by neutral metals deposition at the chamber wall.
Abstract The two-close frequency heating (TCFH) is a new implementation of the well-known two frequency heating. In TCFH, the two frequencies differ around 200-300 MHz each other in order to ...establish two contiguous ECR resonance zones. TCFH has been proved to be a powerful technique to suppress plasma instabilities in Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources (ECRIS), as well as to improve their performances. Its beneficial effect, compared to the application of a single frequency, is always deduced from the extracted charge states distributions and from the detection of the plasma self-emission in the X-ray and microwave ranges. This paper presents the first approach to a numerical description of the two-close frequency effect, based on the relevant plasma parameters of the ECRIS setup operating at ATOMKI-Debrecen. Simulations have been performed by our PIC-Full Wave code, joining electron kinetics and FEM solution of Maxwell equations in a cold plasma model. Results on plasma electron density and energy distribution will be shown, together with a direct comparison with the already published data on X ray emission.
Abstract Simulations are a powerful method to study the correlation between output beams and internal dynamics of electron cyclotron resonance ion sources (ECRIS), which involve a complex interplay ...between injected power, RF frequency, gas type and pressure. We present here some details on 3D full-wave Particle-in-Cell (PIC) code suites that can simulate electron and ion dynamics self-consistently in an ECR plasma. Preliminary runs of the simulation show an encouraging match with experimental data which acts as a benchmark for the PIC codes and highlights its potential for fundamental and applied interdisciplinary plasma research.
Abstract An innovative ECR ion trap facility, called PANDORA (Plasma for Astrophysics, Nuclear Decay Observation and Radiation for Archaeometry), was designed for fundamental plasma processes and ...nuclear physics investigations. The overall structure consists of three subsystems: a) a large (70 cm in length, 28 cm in inner diameter) ECR plasma trap with a fully superconducting B-minimum magnetic system (B max = 3.0 T) and an innovative design to host detectors and diagnostic tools; b) an advanced non-invasive plasma multidiagnostics system to locally characterize the plasma thermodynamic properties; c) an array of 14 HPGe detectors. The PANDORA facility is conceived to measure, for the first time, in-plasma β -decaying isotope rates under stellar-like conditions. The experimental approach consists in a direct correlation of plasma parameters and nuclear activity by disentangling - by means of the multidiagnostic system that will work in synergy with the γ-ray array - the photons emitted by the plasma (from microwave to hard X-ray) and γ-rays emitted after the isotope β -decay. In addition to nuclear physics research, fundamental plasma physics studies can be conducted in this unconventional ion source equipped with tens of detection and diagnostic devices (RF polarimeter, optical emission spectroscopy (OES), X-ray imaging, space and time-resolved spectroscopy, RF probes, scope), with relevant implications for R&D of ion sources for accelerator physics and technology. Several studies have already been performed in downsized nowadays operating ECRIS. Stable and turbulent plasma regimes have been described quantitatively, studying the change of plasma morphology, confinement, and dynamics of losses using space resolved X-ray spectroscopy.
While the mechanism is still not fully clear, the beneficial effect (higher intensity of highly charged ions, stable plasma conditions) of the second microwave injected to the ECR plasma was observed ...in many laboratories, both with close and far frequencies. Due to the complexity of the phenomena (e.g. interaction of resonant zones, damped instabilities) complex diagnostic methods are demanded to understand its mechanism better and to fully exploit the potential hidden in it. It is a challenging task since complex diagnostics methods require the arsenal of diagnostic tools to be installed to a relatively small size plasma chamber. Effect of the injected second 13.6–14.6 GHz microwave to the 14.25 GHz basic plasma has been investigated by means of soft and (time-resolved) hard X-ray spectroscopy, by X-ray imaging and space-resolved spectroscopy and by probing the rf signals emitted by the plasma. Concerning the characterization of the X radiation, in order to separate the source and position of different X-ray photons special metallic materials for the main parts of the plasma chamber were chosen. A detailed description and explanation of the full experimental setup and the applied non-invasive diagnostics tools and its roles are presented in this paper.
Auxiliary electrons can be successfully used as a diagnostic probe to deduce characteristics and dynamics of magnetically confined plasmas typical of Electron Cyclotron Resonance and Microwave ...Discharge Ion Sources, as well as to improve their performances and/or stability. To this scope, numerical simulations are a powerful tool to predict the effect of the interaction of an electron beam with the plasma: this paper presents an alternative way to deduce the plasma density by joining the results of numerical simulations with the diagnostic of the beam transmitted through the plasma. As will be shown, the applied numerical code is able to describe the dynamics of an electron beam, generated by an e-gun, propagating inside a plasma trap, with a magnetic configuration typical of microwave discharge ion sources, focusing on several effects such as ionizations, heating, space charge etc. The role played by the position of the e-guns with respect to the magnetic field profile will be also underlined.
Abstract
The LNL accelerator complex is equipped with two stable ion beams injectors, employing respectively negative and positive ion sources. In particular, a sputtering-type negative ion source ...and an Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS) are installed on high voltage platforms, to provide the optimum injection energy in the downstream accelerators. Recently, the two injectors have been object of upgrades and developments, in order to improve the overall safety and reliability of the two systems, as well as the beams available for the users. This contribution describes the work related to the above-mentioned activities, the technical choices employed and the latest results on ion beams production.
Abstract
Resistive oven technique is used to inject vapours of metallic species in electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma traps, where plasma provides step-wise ionization of neutral metals, ...producing charged ion beams for accelerators. We present a numerical survey of metallic species suitable for oven injection in ECR ion sources, studying neutrals diffusion and deposition under molecular flow regime. These aspects depend on geometry of the evaporation inlet, thermodynamics, and plasma parameters, which strongly impact on ionization and charge-exchange rate, thus on the fraction of reacting neutrals. We considered diffusion of metals with and without plasma. The plasma and its parameters have been modelled considering an established self-consistent particle-in-cell model. Numerical predictions might be relevant to reduce the metal consumption, to increase the overall efficiency, and to improve the plasma ion source performances. As test case, we studied the
134
Cs isotope, as one of the alkali metals of interest for the modern nuclear physics.
Theory predicts that lifetimes of
β
-radionuclides can change dramatically as a function of their ionization state. Experiments performed in Storage Rings on highly ionized atom have proven nuclei ...can change their beta decay lifetime up to several orders of magnitude. The PANDORA (Plasmas for Astrophysics, Nuclear Decay Observation and Radiation for Archaeometry) experiment is now conceived to measure, for the first time, nuclear β-decay rates using magnetized laboratory plasma that can mimic selected stellar-like conditions in terms of the temperature of the environment. The main feature of the setup which is based on a plasma trap to create and sustain the plasma, a detector array for the measurement of the gamma-rays emitted by the daughter nuclei after the decay process and the diagnostic tools developed to online monitor the plasma will be presented. A short list of the physics cases we plan to investigate together with an evaluation of their feasibility will be also discussed.
The media debate on agricultural biotechnology (ag-biotech) in Canada engages active supporters and opponents. At the same time, Canadian citizens are found to be polarized with regard to Genetically ...Modified Organisms (GMOs). Studies suggest that this is partly a result of the biased coverage of the media. I used two widely read national newspapers and examined their stories on GMOs from the years 2000 to 2015. First, I examined whether the stories were biased in evaluations towards GMOs and I then looked at the dynamics of this bias. My results suggest that the press coverage on GMOs in Canada is not biased since representatives from both sides of the debate were found in the press. However, one might see this as an “artificial balance” because the representatives themselves were found to express opinions that could be characterized as biased. I conclude that the press exposure can have a cultivation effect, letting the public reflect what they find in press instead of the real world, and leading to polarized public perceptions on GMOs. This work presents the first effort to understand the levels of media bias that leads to public polarization on ag-biotech. The results add to the literature of public understanding of the media by presenting the ways in which the representatives of the media can express opinions that are biased.
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