Electron cyclotron resonance ion sources with arc-shaped coils

Plasma diagnostic tools for ECR ion sources-What can we learn from these experiments for the next generation sources

The order-of-magnitude performance leaps of ECR ion sources over the past decades result from improvements to the magnetic plasma confinement, increases in the microwave heating frequency, and techniques to stabilize the plasma at high densities. Parallel to the technical development of the ion sources themselves, significant effort has been directed into the development of their plasma diagnostic tools. We review the recent results of Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS) plasma diagnostics highlighting a number of selected examples of plasma density, electron energy distribution, and ion confinement time measurements, obtained mostly with the second-generation sources operating at frequencies from 10 to 18 GHz. The development of minimum-B ECR ion sources based on the superposition of solenoid and sextupole fields has long relied on semiempirical scaling laws for the strength of the magnetic field with increasing plasma heating frequency. This approach is becoming increasingly difficult with the looming limits of superconducting technologies being able to satisfy the magnetic field requirements at frequencies approaching 60 GHz. Thus, we discuss alternative ECRIS concepts and proposed modifications to existing sources that are supported by the current understanding derived from the plasma diagnostics experiments.

The effect of cavity tuning on oxygen beam currents of an A-ECR type 14 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source

The efficiency of the microwave-plasma coupling plays a significant role in the production of highly charged ion beams with electron cyclotron resonance ion sources (ECRISs). The coupling properties are affected by the mechanical design of the ion source plasma chamber and microwave launching system, as well as damping of the microwave electric field by the plasma. Several experiments attempting to optimize the microwave-plasma coupling characteristics by fine-tuning the frequency of the injected microwaves have been conducted with varying degrees of success. The inherent difficulty in interpretation of the frequency tuning results is that the effects of microwave coupling system and the cavity behavior of the plasma chamber cannot be separated. A preferable approach to study the effect of the cavity properties of the plasma chamber on extracted beam currents is to adjust the cavity dimensions. The results of such cavity tuning experiments conducted with the JYFL 14 GHz ECRIS are reported here. The cavity properties were adjusted by inserting a conducting tuner rod axially into the plasma chamber. The extracted beam currents of oxygen charge states O³⁺-O⁷⁺ were recorded at various tuner positions and frequencies in the range of 14.00-14.15 GHz. It was observed that the tuner position affects the beam currents of high charge state ions up to several tens of percent. In particular, it was found that at some tuner position / frequency combinations the plasma exhibited "mode-hopping" between two operating regimes. The results improve the understanding of the role of plasma chamber cavity properties on ECRIS performances.

The electron cyclotron resonance ion source with arc-shaped coils concept (invited)

The main limitation to further improve the performance of ECR ion sources is set by the magnet technology related to the multipole magnet field used for the closed minimum-B structure. The JYFL ion source group has sought different approaches to improve the strength of the minimum-B structure required for the production of highly charged ion beams. It was found out that such a configuration can be realized with arc shaped coils. The first prototype, electron cyclotron resonance ion source with arc-shaped coils (ARC-ECRIS), was constructed and tested at JYFL in 2006. It was confirmed that such an ion source can be used for the production of highly charged ion beams. Regardless of several cost-driven compromises such as extraction mirror ratio of 1.05-1.2, microwave frequency of 6.4 GHz, and beam line with limited capacity, Ar(4+) beam intensity of up to 2 μA was measured. Subsequent design study has shown that the ARC-ECRIS operating at the microwave frequency above 40 GHz could be constructed. This specific design would be based on NbTi-wires and it fulfills the experimental magnetic field scaling laws. In this article, the ARC-ECRIS concept and its potential applications will be described.