Characterization of the CW starter plasma RF matching network for operating the SNS H- ion source with lower H2 flows
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Emittance measurements for optimum operation of the J-PARC RF-driven H{sup −} ion source
In order to satisfy the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) second stage requirements of an H{sup −} ion beam of 60mA within normalized emittances of 1.5πmm•mrad both horizontally and vertically, a flat top beam duty factor of 1.25% (500μs×25Hz) and a life-time of longer than 1month, the J-PARC cesiated RF-driven H{sup −} ion source was developed by using an internal-antenna developed at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). The transverse emittances of the source were measured with various conditions to find out the optimum operation conditions minimizing the horizontal and vertical rms normalized emittances. The transverse emittances were most effectively reduced by operating the source with the plasma electrode temperature lower than 70°C. The optimum value of the cesium (Cs) density around the beam hole of the plasma electrode seems to be proportional to the plasma electrode temperature. The fine control of the Cs density is indispensable, since the emittances seem to increase proportionally to the excessiveness of the Cs density. Furthermore, the source should be operated with the Cs density beyond a threshold value, since the plasma meniscus shape and the ellipse parameters of the transverse emittances seem to be changed step-function-likely on the threshold Cs value.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Maintenance and operation procedure, and feedback controls of the J-PARC RF-driven H{sup −} ion source
In order to satisfy the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) second stage requirements of an H{sup −} ion beam of 60mA within normalized emittances of 1.5πmm•mrad both horizontally and vertically, a flat top beam duty factor of 1.25% (500μs×25Hz) and a life-time of longer than 1month, the J-PARC cesiated RF-driven H{sup −} ion source was developed by using an internal-antenna developed at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). The maintenance and operation procedure to minimize the plasma chamber (PCH) replacement time on the beam line, which is very important to maximize the J-PARC beam time especially for an antenna failure, is presented in this paper. The PCH preserved by filling argon (Ar) gas inside after pre-conditioning including pre-cesiation to produce the required beam at a test-stand successfully produced the required beam on the beam line with slight addition of cesium (Cs). The methods of the feedback controls of a 2MHz-RF-matching, an H{sup −} ion beam intensity and the addition of Cs are also presented. The RF-matching feedback by using two vacuum variable capacitors (VVCs) and RF-frequency shift produced the almost perfect matching with negligibly small reflected RF-power. The H{sup −} ion beam intensity was controlled within errors of ±0.1mA by the RF-power feedback. The amount of Cs was also controlled by remotely opening a Cs-valve to keep the RF-power lower than a settled value.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Size scaling of negative hydrogen ion sources for fusion
The RF-driven negative hydrogen ion source (H{sup −}, D{sup −}) for the international fusion experiment ITER has a width of 0.9 m and a height of 1.9 m and is based on a ⅛ scale prototype source being in operation at the IPP test facilities BATMAN and MANITU for many years. Among the challenges to meet the required parameters in a caesiated source at a source pressure of 0.3 Pa or less is the challenge in size scaling of a factor of eight. As an intermediate step a ½ scale ITER source went into operation at the IPP test facility ELISE with the first plasma in February 2013. The experience and results gained so far at ELISE allowed a size scaling study from the prototype source towards the ITER relevant size at ELISE, in which operational issues, physical aspects and the source performance is addressed, highlighting differences as well as similarities. The most ITER relevant results are: low pressure operation down to 0.2 Pa is possible without problems; the magnetic filter field created by a current in the plasma grid is sufficient to reduce the electron temperature below the target value of 1 eV and to reduce together with the bias applied between the differently shaped bias plate and the plasma grid the amount of co-extracted electrons. An asymmetry of the co-extracted electron currents in the two grid segments is measured, varying strongly with filter field and bias. Contrary to the prototype source, a dedicated plasma drift in vertical direction is not observed. As in the prototype source, the performance in deuterium is limited by the amount of co-extracted electrons in short as well as in long pulse operation. Caesium conditioning is much harder in deuterium than in hydrogen for which fast and reproducible conditioning is achieved. First estimates reveal a caesium consumption comparable to the one in the prototype source despite the large size.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Improvements of the magnetic field design for SPIDER and MITICA negative ion beam sources
The design of the magnetic field configuration in the SPIDER and MITICA negative ion beam sources has evolved considerably during the past four years. This evolution was driven by three factors: 1) the experimental results of the large RF-driven ion sources at IPP, which have provided valuable indications on the optimal magnetic configurations for reliable RF plasma source operation and for large negative ion current extraction, 2) the comprehensive beam optics and heat load simulations, which showed that the magnetic field configuration in the accelerator is crucial for keeping the heat load due to electrons on the accelerator grids within tolerable limits, without compromising the optics of the negative ion beam in the foreseen operating scenarios, 3) the progress of the detailed mechanical design of the accelerator, which stimulated the evaluation of different solutions for the correction of beamlet deflections of various origin and for beamlet aiming. On this basis, new requirements and solution concepts for the magnetic field configuration in the SPIDER and MITICA beam sources have been progressively introduced and updated until the design converged. The paper presents how these concepts have been integrated into a final design solution based on a horizontal “long-range” field (few mT) in combination with a “local” vertical field of some tens of mT on the acceleration grids.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Characterization of plasma ion source utilizing anode spot with positively biased electrode for stable and high-current ion beam extraction
The operating conditions of a rf plasma ion source utilizing a positively biased electrode have been investigated to develop a stably operating, high-current ion source. Ion beam characteristics such as currents and energies are measured and compared with bias currents by varying the bias voltages on the electrode immersed in the ambient rf plasma. Current-voltage curves of the bias electrode and photographs confirm that a small and dense plasma, so-called anode spot, is formed near an extraction aperture and plays a key role to enhance the performance of the plasma ion source. The ion beam currents from the anode spot are observed to be maximized at the optimum bias voltage near the knee of the characteristic current-voltage curve of the anode spot. Increased potential barrier to obstruct beam extraction is the reason for the reduction of the ion beam current in spite of the increased bias current indicating the density of the anode spot. The optimum bias voltage is measured to be lower at higher operating pressure, which is favorable for stable operation without severe sputtering damage on the electrode. The ion beam current can be further enhanced by increasing the power for the ambient plasma without increasing the bias voltage. In the same manner, noble gases with higher atomic number as a feedstock gas are preferable for extracting higher beam current more stably. Therefore, performance of the plasma ion source with a positively biased electrode can be enhanced by controlling the operating conditions of the anode spot in various manners.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
Characteristics of a high-power RF source of negative hydrogen ions for neutral beam injection into controlled fusion devices
An injector of hydrogen atoms with an energy of 0.5–1 MeV and equivalent current of up to 1.5 A for purposes of controlled fusion research is currently under design at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. Within this project, a multiple-aperture RF surface-plasma source of negative hydrogen ions is designed. The source design and results of experiments on the generation of a negative ion beam with a current of >1 A in the long-pulse mode are presented.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
A new extraction system for the Linac4 H{sup -}ion source
As part of the CERN accelerator complex upgrade, a new linear accelerator for H{sup -} (Linac4) is under construction. The ion source design is based on the non-caesiated DESY RF-driven ion source, with the goal of producing an H{sup -} beam of 80 mA beam current, 45 keV beam energy, 0.4 ms pulse length, and 2 Hz repetition rate. The source has been successfully commissioned for an extraction voltage of 35 kV, corresponding to the one used at DESY. Increasing the extraction voltage to 45 kV has resulted in frequent high voltage breakdowns in the extraction region caused by evaporating material from the electron dump, triggering a new design of the extraction and electron dumping system. Results of the ion source commissioning at 35 kV are presented as well as simulations of a new pulsed extraction system for beam extraction at 45 kV.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Fluid-kinetic modeling of a high power density radio frequency inductively coupled positive hydrogen ion source
High power density radio-frequency (RF) inductively coupled positive ion sources are attractive candidates for next-generation neutral beam injection (NBI) systems, where higher injected power and longer pulse lengths are desired without sacrificing source reliability. Operating at absorbed power densities of order $\gt 1~\mathrm{W\,cm}^{-3}$ places these sources in a regime with stronger gas heating, higher dissociation, and non-Maxwellian electron energy distributions. The Large Uniform Plasma for Ionizing Neutrals (LUPIN) is an RF inductively coupled plasma source designed to explore this high power density regime and to provide guidance for a positive ion source upgrade for the DIII-D NBI system. LUPIN is designed to operate at up to 20 kW of RF power at 2 MHz, coupling energy through a cylindrical quartz vessel to achieve target ion current densities of $2100\,\mathrm{A\,m}^{-2}$ . This paper presents fluid-kinetic modeling of LUPIN using the hybrid plasma equipment model where electrons are treated kinetically, and the simulations reveal that electron energy distribution function transitions from nearly Maxwellian in the core to bi-Maxwellian towards the edge. Parametric simulations investigate the effects of RF power, gas pressure, and frequency on plasma density, ion flux, and uniformity. Parametric sweeps reveal that increasing power shifts the primary ionization channel from molecular to atomic with diminishing flux gains due to skin-depth contraction and gas rarefaction. Higher frequency localizes heating and increases $\mathrm{H}_2^+$ and $\mathrm{H}_3^+$ delivery to the grid, while elevated pressure boosts ionization yet hinders ion transport due to increase in collisionality.
inductively coupled plasma↗
Towards Understanding the Cesium Cycle of the Persistent H- Beams at SNS
This paper describes the accomplishments of the SNS H- ion source, which delivers routinely ~50 mA at a 5.4% duty factor with ~99% availability, enabling 1 MW beams for neutron production with ~90 % availability. It discusses the need for increasing reliability and beam current. But mostly it focuses on its unexpected feature: H- beams that are apparently persistent for up to 5 weeks without adding Cs after an initial dose of less than ~5 mg. Thermal emission and sputtering are qualitatively evaluated, and appear consistent with a negligible Cs sputter rate after the initial dose disappears from the Cs plasma. It concludes with a list of future experiments that can shed more light on this apparently unique Cs cycle.
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
Radiofrequency hydrogen ion source with permanent magnets providing axial magnetic field
Uniform axial magnetic field of about 70 G is applied to a radiofrequency (rf) hydrogen ion source by arrays of permanent magnets. The plasma density and electron temperature downstream of the source and near the magnetic filter are compared with those in the previously described ion source, where the axial field has been applied by two solenoids. The source is operated at ∼350 kHz and above 10 kW rf power with a field-effect-transistor-based invertor power supply in 1.5 Pa hydrogen. The results show that the plasma density of ∼10{sup 19} m{sup −3} near the source exit and ∼10{sup 18} m{sup −3} near the magnetic filter can be obtained, which are higher than those with the solenoids.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Performance of the H- Ion Source Supporting 1-MW Beam Operations at SNS
The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory reached 1-MW of beam power in September 2009, and now routinely operates near 1-MW for the production of neutrons. This paper reviews the performance, operational issues, implemented and planned mitigations of the SNS H- ion source to support such high power-level beams with high availability. Some results from R&D activities are also briefly described.
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
Characteristics of Hydrogen Negative Ion Source with FET based RF System
Characteristics of radio frequency (RF) plasma production were investigated using a FET inverter power supply as a RF generator. High density hydrogen plasma was obtained using an external coil wound a cylindrical ceramic tube (driver region) with RF frequency of lower than 0.5 MHz. When an axial magnetic field around 10 mT was applied to the driver region, an electron density increased drastically and attained to over 10{sup 19} m{sup -3} in the driver region. Effect of the axial magnetic field in driver and expansion region was examined. Lower gas pressure operation below 0.5 Pa was possible with higher RF frequency. H{sup -} density in the expansion region was measured by using laser photo-detachment system. It decreased as the axial magnetic field applied, which was caused by the increase of energetic electron from the driver.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Preliminary results concerning the simulation of beam profiles from extracted ion current distributions for mini-STRIKE
The Radio Frequency (RF) negative hydrogen ion source prototype has been chosen for the ITER neutral beam injectors due to its optimal performances and easier maintenance demonstrated at Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Garching in hydrogen and deuterium. One of the key information to better understand the operating behavior of the RF ion sources is the extracted negative ion current density distribution. This distribution—influenced by several factors like source geometry, particle drifts inside the source, cesium distribution, and layout of cesium ovens—is not straightforward to be evaluated. The main outcome of the present contribution is the development of a minimization method to estimate the extracted current distribution using the footprint of the beam recorded with mini-STRIKE (Short-Time Retractable Instrumented Kalorimeter). To accomplish this, a series of four computational models have been set up, where the output of a model is the input of the following one. These models compute the optics of the ion beam, evaluate the distribution of the heat deposited on the mini-STRIKE diagnostic calorimeter, and finally give an estimate of the temperature distribution on the back of mini-STRIKE. Several iterations with different extracted current profiles are necessary to give an estimate of the profile most compatible with the experimental data. A first test of the application of the method to the BAvarian Test Machine for Negative ions beam is given.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
A collisional radiative model for caesium and its application to an RF source for negative hydrogen ions
A collisional radiative (CR) model for caesium atoms in low-temperature, low-pressure hydrogen-caesium plasmas is introduced. This model includes the caesium ground state, 14 excited states, the singly charged caesium ion and the negative hydrogen ion. The reaction probabilities needed as input are based on data from the literature, using some scaling and extrapolations. Additionally, new cross sections for electron collision ionization and three-body recombination have been calculated. The relevance of mutual neutralization of positive caesium ions and negative hydrogen ions is highlighted: depending on the densities of the involved particle species, this excitation channel can have a significant influence on the population densities of excited states in the caesium atom. This strong influence is successfully verified by optical emission spectroscopy measurements performed at the IPP prototype negative hydrogen ion source for ITER NBI. As a consequence, population models for caesium in electronegative low-temperature, low-pressure hydrogen-caesium plasmas need to take into account the mutual neutralization process. The present CR model is an example for such models and represents an important prerequisite for deducing the total caesium density in surface production based negative hydrogen ion sources.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Towards 20 A negative hydrogen ion beams for up to 1 h: Achievements of the ELISE test facility (invited)
The large-scale RF-driven ion source of the test facility extraction from a large ion source experiment is aimed to deliver an accelerated ion current of 20 A D{sup −} (23 A H{sup −}) with an extracted electron-to-ion ratio below one for up to 1 h. Since the first plasma pulses for 20 s in volume operation in early 2013, followed by caesiation of the ion source, substantial progress has been achieved in extending the pulse length and the RF power. The record pulses in hydrogen are stable 400 s pulses with an extracted ion current of 18.3 A at 180 kW total RF power and 9.3 A at 80 kW stable for 1 h. For deuterium pulse, length and RF power are limited by the amount of co-extracted electrons.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
Sensitivity Analysis of the Off-Normal Conditions of the SPIDER Accelerator
In the context of the development of the 1 MV neutral beam injector for the ITER tokamak, the study on beam formation and acceleration has considerable importance. This effort includes the ion source and accelerator SPIDER (Source for Production of Ions of Deuterium Extracted from an Rf plasma) ion source, planned to be built in Padova, and designed to extract and accelerate a 355 A/m{sup 2} current of H{sup -}(or 285 A/m{sup 2} D{sup -}) up to 100 kV. Exhaustive simulations were already carried out during the accelerator optimization leading to the present design. However, as it is expected that the accelerator shall operate also in case of pre-programmed or undesired off-normal conditions, the investigation of a large set of off-normal scenarios is necessary. These analyses will also be useful for the evaluation of the real performances of the machine, and should help in interpreting experimental results, or in identifying dangerous operating conditions.The present contribution offers an overview of the results obtained during the investigation of these off-normal conditions, by means of different modeling tools and codes. The results, showed a good flexibility of the device in different operating conditions. Where the consequences of the abnormalities appeared to be problematic further analysis were addressed.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
Low-energy beam transport studies supporting the Spallation Neutron Source 1-MW beam operationa
The H- injector consisting of a cesium enhanced RF-driven ion source and a 2-lens electrostatic low-energy beam transport (LEBT) system supports the Spallation Neutron Source 1-MW beam operation with ~38 mA beam current in the linac at 60 Hz with a pulse length of up to ~1.0 ms. In this work, two important issues associated with the low-energy beam transport are discussed: 1) inconsistent dependence of the post-RFQ beam current on the ion source tilt angle, and 2) high power beam losses on the LEBT electrodes under some off-nominal conditions compromising their reliability.
Han, Baoxi↗