The stripper design and test at HIRFL-CSR

Charge stripping is employed to produce multi-charged ions for injecting the cooling storage ring After penetrating through the carbon foil, the widened distribution of ion charge states poses a limit to the ion injection Therefore, the carbon foil plays a key role in the charge snipping injection In this paper, foul strippers for Heavy Ion Research Facility at Lanzhou (HIRFL) and Cooling Sun age Ring (CSR) are introduced The charge state distribution of the stripped ions is measured and the stripping efficiency of the foils is investigated The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical values

Progress in HIRFL-CSR

The HIRFL complex, the commissioning of HIRFL-CSR, and the nuclear physics experiments at HIRFL-CSR are briefly introduced.

Probing the Structure of Unstable Nuclei Through the Recoiled Proton Tagged Knockout Reaction

Recoiled proton tagged knockout reaction experiments were carried-out for He-8 at 82.5 MeV/u in RIKEN and for He-6 at 65 MeV/u in Lanzhou. The very preliminary results for the distinguish of the reaction mechanism are presented and compared to the kinematics calculation.

Study of a magnetic alloy-loaded RF cavity for bunch compression at the CSR

The Heavy Ion Research Facility and Cooling Storage Ring (HIRFL-CSR) accelerator in Lanzhou offers a unique possibility for the generation of high density and short pulse heavy ion beams by non-adiabatic bunch compression longitudinally, which is implemented by a fast jump of the RF-voltage amplitude. For this purpose, an RF cavity with high electric field gradient loaded with Magnetic Alloy cores has been developed. The results show that the resonant frequency range of the single-gap RF cavity is from 1.13 MHz to 1.42 MHz, and a maximum RF voltage of 40 kV with a total length of 100 cm can be obtained, which can be used to compress heavy ion beams of U-238(72+) with 250 MeV/u from the initial bunch length of 200 ns to 50 ns with the coaction of the two single-gap RF cavity mentioned above.

Design optimization of the APF DTL in the SSC-linac

A linear accelerator as a new injector for the SSC (Separated Sector Cyclotron) of the HIRFL (Heavy ton Research Facility Lanzhou) is being designed. The DTL (Drift-Tube-Linac) has been designed to accelerate U-238(34+) from 0.140 MeV/u to 0.97 MeV/u. To the first accelerating tank which accelerates U-238(34+) to 0.54 MeV/u, the approach of Alternating-Phase-Focusing (APF) is applied. The phase array is obtained by coupling optimization software Dakota and beam optics code LINREV. With the hybrid of Multi-objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) and a pattern search method, an optimum array of asynchronous phases is determined. The final growth, both transversely and longitudinally, can meet the design requirements. In this paper, the deign optimization of the APF DTL is presented.

PIC mode simulation of solenoid collimation channel

A new SSC (Separated Sector Cyclotron)-Linac is being designed to serve as an injector for the SSC at the HIRFL (Heavy Ion Research Facility Lanzhou). The beam intensity at the LEBT (Low Energy Beam Transport) for the heavy ions after the selection is typically low and the space charge effects are inconspicuous. The space charge effects become obvious when the beam current increases to a few hundred microamperes. The emittance growth deriving from the space charge effects may be particularly troublesome for the following linac and cyclotron. An optical system containing three solenoids has been designed for the LEBT to limit the beam emittance and to avoid the unnecessary beam loss in the cyclotron, as well as for the purpose of immunizing the LEBT emittance growth due to the space charge effects. The results of the PIG (Particle-In-Cell) mode simulation illustrate that this channel could limit the beam emittance growth and increase the beam brightness.

Characteristics of the sampling paddle modules of neutron wall from the cosmic ray test

In the construction of a large area neutron detector (neutron wall) that is used to detect neutrons at GeV energies, the performances of all the sampling paddle modules prepared for the neutron wall are investigated with a specially designed test bench. Tested by cosmic rays, an average intrinsic time resolution of 222.5 ps is achieved at the center of the modules. The light attenuation length and the effective speed of the light in the module are also investigated.

Optimal design of a 7 T highly homogeneous superconducting magnet for a Penning trap

A Penning trap system called Lanzhou Penning Trap (LPT) is now being developed for precise mass measurements at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP). One of the key components is a 7 T actively shielded superconducting magnet with a clear warm bore of 156 mm. The required field homogeneity is 3 x 10(-7) over two 1 cubic centimeter volumes lying 220 mm apart along the magnet axis. We introduce a two-step method which combines linear programming and a nonlinear optimization algorithm for designing the multi-section superconducting magnet. This method is fast and flexible for handling arbitrary shaped homogeneous volumes and coils. With the help of this method an optimal design for the LPT superconducting magnet has been obtained.

Neutron dose measurement in carbon ion radiation therapy at HIRFL (IMP)

For radiation protection purposes, the neutron dose in carbon ion radiation therapy at the HIRFL (Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou) was investigated. The neutron dose from primary C-12 ions with a specific energy of 100 MeV/u delivered from SSC was roughly measured with a standard Anderson-Broun rem-meter using a polyethylene target at various distances. The result shows that a maximum neutron dose contribution of 19 mSv in a typically surface tumor treatment was obtained, which is less than 1% of the planed heavy ion dose and is in reasonable agreement with other reports. Also the gamma-ray dose was measured in this experiment using a thermo luminescent detector.

Measurement of the total reaction cross section for the mirror nuclei N-12 and B-12

The mirror nuclei N-12 and B-12 are separated by the Radioactive Ion Beam Line in Lanzhou (RIBLL) at HIRFL from the breakup of 78.6 MeV/u N-14 on a Be target. The total reaction cross-sections of N-12 at 34.9 MeV/u and B-12 at 54.4 MeV/u on a Si target have been measured by using the transmission method. Assuming N-12 consists of a C-11 core plus one halo proton, the excitation function of N-12 and B-12 on a Si target and a C target were calculated with the Glauber model. It can fit the experimental data very well. The characteristic halo structure for N-12 was found with a large diffusion of the protons density distribution.

Experimental Study on the Exotic Structure of N-12 in RIBLL

We measured the total reaction cross sections of N-12 in Si at 36.2 MeV/u. using Radioactive Ion Beam Line in Lanzhou (RIBLL) with a new method. The reaction target was installed at the intermediate focusing point T1 at RIBLL. This scheme allows us to identify particles before and after the reaction target unambiguously. The total reaction cross section (1760 +/- 78mb) of N-12 in Si is obtained. Assuming that N-12 consists of a core C-11 plus one halo proton, the excitation function of N-12 on the Si and C targets is calculated with the Glauber model and the Fermi-Fermi density distributions. It can fit the experimental data very well. A large diffusion of the protons density distribution supports the halo structure for N-12.

Emittance estimation by an ion optical element with variable focusing strength and a viewing target

The emittance of an extracted ion beam can be estimated to first order by a series of three linear independent profile measurements. This estimation is restricted to the evaluation of an upper limit of the emittance value for a homogeneous, nonfilamented beam. The beam is assumed to be round, respectively elliptical, without any structure of the intensity distribution, no space charge has been assumed for the drifting beam, and the optics is assumed to be linear. Instead of using three different drift sections, a linear focusing element with three different focusing strengths can be used. Plotting the beam radius as function of focusing strength, three independent solutions can be used to calculate the Twiss parameters alpha, beta, and gamma and furthermore the emittance epsilon. Here we describe the measurements which have been performed with the SECRAL ion source at Institute of Modern Physics Lanzhou.

Production of highly charged ion beams with SECRAL

Superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source with advanced design in Lanzhou (SECRAL) is an all-superconducting-magnet electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) for the production of intense highly charged ion beams to meet the requirements of the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL). To further enhance the performance of SECRAL, an aluminum chamber has been installed inside a 1.5 mm thick Ta liner used for the reduction of x-ray irradiation at the high voltage insulator. With double-frequency (18+14.5 GHz) heating and at maximum total microwave power of 2.0 kW, SECRAL has successfully produced quite a few very highly charged Xe ion beams, such as 10 e mu A of Xe37+, 1 e mu A of Xe43+, and 0.16 e mu A of Ne-like Xe44+. To further explore the capability of the SECRAL in the production of highly charged heavy metal ion beams, a first test run on bismuth has been carried out recently. The main goal is to produce an intense Bi31+ beam for HIRFL accelerator and to have a feel how well the SECRAL can do in the production of very highly charged Bi beams. During the test, though at microwave power less than 3 kW, more than 150 e mu A of Bi31+, 22 e mu A of Bi41+, and 1.5 e mu A of Bi50+ have been produced. All of these results have again demonstrated the great capability of the SECRAL source. This article will present the detailed results and brief discussions to the production of highly charged ion beams with SECRAL.

New development of advanced superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source SECRAL (invited)

Superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source with advance design in Lanzhou (SECRAL) is an 18-28 GHz fully superconducting electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source dedicated for highly charged heavy ion beam production. SECRAL, with an innovative superconducting magnet structure of solenoid-inside-sextupole and at lower frequency and lower rf power operation, may open a new way for developing compact and reliable high performance superconducting ECR ion source. One of the recent highlights achieved at SECRAL is that some new record beam currents for very high charge states were produced by 18 GHz or 18+14.5 GHz double frequency heating, such as 1 e mu A of Xe-129(43+), 22 e mu A of Bi-209(41+), and 1.5 e mu A of Bi-209(50+). To further enhance the performance of SECRAL, a 24 GHz/7 kW gyrotron microwave generator was installed and SECRAL was tested at 24 GHz. Some promising and exciting results at 24 GHz with new record highly charged ion beam intensities were produced, such as 455 e mu A of Xe-129(27+) and 152 e mu A of Xe-129(30+), although the commissioning time was limited within 3-4 weeks and rf power only 3-4 kW. Bremsstrahlung measurements at 24 GHz show that x-ray is much stronger with higher rf frequency, higher rf power. and higher minimum mirror magnetic field (minimum B). Preliminary emittance measurements indicate that SECRAL emittance at 24 GHz is slightly higher that at 18 GHz. SECRAL has been put into routine operation at 18 GHz for heavy ion research facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL) accelerator complex since May 2007. The total operation beam time from SECRAL for HIRFL accelerator has been more than 2000 h, and Xe-129(27+), Kr-78(19+), Bi-209(31+), and Ni-58(19+) beams were delivered. All of these new developments, the latest results, and long-term operation for the accelerator have again demonstrated that SECRAL is one of the best in the performance of ECR ion source for highly charged heavy ion beam production. Finally the future development of SECRAL will be presented.

Nuclear physics program at HIRFL

With the commissioning of HIRFL-CSR, HIRFL can provide heavy ion beams with energy covering the range of several MeV/u to 1 GeV/u. In this talk, the experiments on nuclear physics at different energies to be carried out with different experimental setups at HIRFL will be introduced.