Development, modelling and investigation of a charge breeder for radioactive beams

This thesis describes work undertaken as part of a European collaboration to investigate the feasibility of using a charge breeder to produce a beam of highly charged radioactive ions. In particular the possibility to charge breed radioactive beams using an Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS) is investigated. In the charge breeder mode of operation, ions are generated in a 14- state and, after injection into the ECRIS, their charge state is increased by collisions with a plasma of hot electrons. The PHOENIX is a specific version of an ECRIS designed by ISN (Grenoble) to operate as a charge breeder. A test rig has been established to carry out performance tests on the first production PHOENIX charge breeder using stable beams of noble gas ions. To achieve a better understanding of the electromagnetic properties of the extraction system of the ion source and the charge breeder, a computer simulation program has been developed to track the particles through the extraction magnetic and electric fields. These fields have been modelled using the computer code POISSON from Los Alamos Laboratory, USA. The PHOENIX was designed to have considerable flexibility in the extraction geometry and optics and the beam modelling program has been used to develop an understanding and to determine the optimum parameters of the extraction system. (author) / Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DXN062843 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply Centre / SIGLE / GB / United Kingdom