Estimating ion confinement times from beam current transients in conventional and charge breeder ECRIS

Cumulative ion confinement times are probed by measuring decaying ion current transients in pulsed material injection mode. The method is applied in a charge breeder and conventional ECRIS yielding mutually corroborative results. The cumulative confinement time estimates vary from approximately 2 ms-60 ms with a clear dependence on the ion charge-to-mass ratio-higher charges having longer residence times. The long cumulative confinement times are proposed as a partial explanation to recently observed unexpectedly high ion temperatures. The results are relevant for rare ion beam (RIB) production as the confinement time and the lifetime of stable isotopes can be used for estimating the extracted RIB production efficiency.

Status of the SPIRAL2 injector commissioning

The SPIRAL2 injector, installed in its tunnel, is currently under commissioning at GANIL, Caen, France. The injector is composed of two low energy beam transport lines: one is dedicated to the light ion beam production, the other to the heavy ions. The first light ion beam, created by a 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source, has been successfully produced in December 2014. The first beam of the PHOENIX V2 18 GHz heavy ion source was analyzed on 10 July 2015. A status of the SPIRAL2 injector commissioning is given. An upgrade of the heavy ion source, named PHOENIX V3 aimed to replace the V2, is presented. The new version features a doubled plasma chamber volume and the high charge state beam intensity is expected to increase by a factor of 1.5 to 2 up to the mass ∼50. A status of its assembly is proposed.

Optimizing charge breeding techniques for ISOL facilities in Europe: Conclusions from the EMILIE project

The present paper summarizes the results obtained from the past few years in the framework of the Enhanced Multi-Ionization of short-Lived Isotopes for Eurisol (EMILIE) project. The EMILIE project aims at improving the charge breeding techniques with both Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources (ECRIS) and Electron Beam Ion Sources (EBISs) for European Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) facilities. Within EMILIE, an original technique for debunching the beam from EBIS charge breeders is being developed, for making an optimal use of the capabilities of CW post-accelerators of the future facilities. Such a debunching technique should eventually resolve duty cycle and time structure issues which presently complicate the data-acquisition of experiments. The results of the first tests of this technique are reported here. In comparison with charge breeding with an EBIS, the ECRIS technique had lower performance in efficiency and attainable charge state for metallic ion beams and also suffered from issues related to beam contamination. In recent years, improvements have been made which significantly reduce the differences between the two techniques, making ECRIS charge breeding more attractive especially for CW machines producing intense beams. Upgraded versions of the Phoenix charge breeder, originally developed by LPSC, will be used at SPES and GANIL/SPIRAL. These two charge breeders have benefited from studies undertaken within EMILIE, which are also briefly summarized here.

Charge breeder for the SPIRAL1 upgrade: Preliminary results

In the framework of the SPIRAL1 upgrade under progress at the GANIL lab, the charge breeder based on a LPSC Phoenix ECRIS, first tested at ISOLDE has been modified to benefit of the last enhancements of this device from the 1+/n+ community. The modifications mainly concern the 1 + optics, vacuum techniques, and the RF-buffer gas injection into the charge breeder. Prior to its installation in the midst of the low energy beam line of the SPIRAL1 facility, it has been decided to qualify its performances and several operation modes at the test bench of LPSC lab. This contribution shall present preliminary results of experiments conducted at LPSC concerning the 1 + to n+ conversion efficiencies for noble gases as well as for alkali elements and the corresponding transformation times.

Metallic beam developments for the SPIRAL 2 project

The SPIRAL 2 facility, currently under construction, will provide either stable or radioactive beams at high intensity. In addition to the high intensity of stable beams, high charge states must be produced by the ion source to fulfill the RFQ LINAC injection requirements: Q/A = 1/3 at 60 kV ion source extraction voltage. Excepting deuterons and hydrogen, most of the stable beam requests concern metallic elements. The existing 18 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) Phoenix V2 designed at LPSC Grenoble has been used for the tests and will be the source for the SPIRAL 2 commissioning. The tests performed at LPSC for calcium ((40)Ca(14+) and (40)Ca(16+)), nickel ((58)Ni(19+)), and sulfur ((32)S(11+)) are described and discussed. Due to the very high charge states required, the oven method has been chosen. An intensity of 1 pμA has been reached for those elements. The performance and the beam stability have been studied using different buffer gases, and some ionization efficiency preliminary results are given.

Future carbon beams at SPIRAL1 facility: which method is the most efficient?

Compared to in-flight facilities, Isotope Separator On-Line ones can in principle produce significantly higher radioactive ion beam intensities. On the other hand, they have to cope with delays for the release and ionization which make the production of short-lived isotopes ion beams of reactive and refractory elements particularly difficult. Many efforts are focused on extending the capabilities of ISOL facilities to those challenging beams. In this context, the development of carbon beams is triggering interest [H. Frånberg, M. Ammann, H. W. Gäggeler, and U. Köster, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 77, 03A708 (2006); M. Kronberger, A. Gottberg, T. M. Mendonca, J. P. Ramos, C. Seiffert, P. Suominen, and T. Stora, in Proceedings of the EMIS 2012 [Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B Production of molecular sideband radioisotope beams at CERN-ISOLDE using a Helicon-type plasma ion source (to be published)]: despite its refractory nature, radioactive carbon beams can be produced from molecules (CO or CO2), which can subsequently be broken up and multi-ionized to the required charge state in charge breeders or ECR sources. This contribution will present results of experiments conducted at LPSC with the Phoenix charge breeder and at GANIL with the Nanogan ECR ion source for the ionization of carbon beams in the frame of the ENSAR and EMILIE projects. Carbon is to date the lightest condensable element charge bred with an ECR ion source. Charge breeding efficiencies will be compared with those obtained using Nanogan ECRIS and charge breeding times will be presented as well.

Status of the ion sources developments for the Spiral2 project at GANIL

The SPIRAL 2 facility is now under construction and will deliver either stable or radioactive ion beams. First tests of nickel beam production have been performed at GANIL with a new version of the large capacity oven, and a calcium beam has been produced on the heavy ion low energy beam transport line of SPIRAL 2, installed at LPSC Grenoble. For the production of radioactive beams, several target∕ion-source systems (TISSs) are under development at GANIL as the 2.45 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source, the surface ionization source, and the oven prototype for heating the uranium carbide target up to 2000 °C. The existing test bench has been upgraded for these developments and a new one, dedicated for the validation of the TISS before mounting in the production module, is under design. Results and current status of these activities are presented.

Status of the SPIRAL I upgrade at GANIL

The upgrade of the "Système de Production d'Ions Radioactifs en Ligne" phase I (SPIRAL I) installed at the "Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds" (GANIL) situated at Caen, France, is in progress and should be ready by 2014. In parallel, the first part of SPIRAL II facility is currently under construction. The global status of the upgrade is presented: goal, radioactive ion production systems, modification of the production cave and impact of the current safety re-evaluation of GANIL.

Prospects for advanced electron cyclotron resonance and electron beam ion source charge breeding methods for EURISOL

As the most ambitious concept of isotope separation on line (ISOL) facility, EURISOL aims at producing unprecedented intensities of post-accelerated radioactive isotopes. Charge breeding, which transforms the charge state of radioactive beams from 1+ to an n+ charge state prior to post-acceleration, is a key technology which has to overcome the following challenges: high charge states for high energies, efficiency, rapidity and purity. On the roadmap to EURISOL, a dedicated R&D is being undertaken to push forward the frontiers of the present state-of-the-art techniques which use either electron cyclotron resonance or electron beam ion sources. We describe here the guidelines of this R&D.

GISELE: a resonant ionization laser ion source for the production of radioactive ions at GANIL

SPIRAL2 is the new project under construction at GANIL to produce radioactive ion beams and in particular neutron rich ion beams. For the past 10 yr SPIRAL1 at GANIL has been delivering accelerated radioactive ion beams of gases. Both facilities now need to extend the range of radioactive ion beams produced to condensable elements. For that purpose, a resonant ionization laser ion source, funded by the French Research National Agency, is under development at GANIL, in collaboration with IPN Orsay, University of Mainz (Germany) and TRIUMF, Vancouver (Canada). A description of this project called GISELE (GANIL Ion Source using Electron Laser Excitation) is presented.

Latest developments at GANIL for stable and radioactive ion beam production

In the frame of the SPIRAL II (Système de Production d'Ions Radioactifs Accélérés en Ligne Partie II) project, several developments of stable and radioactive ion production systems have been started up. In parallel, GANIL has the ambition to preserve the existing stable and radioactive beams and also to increase its range by offering new ones. In order to identify the best directions for this development, a new group called GANISOL has been formed. Its preliminary conclusions and the latest developments at GANIL are presented.

Development of a surface ionization source for the SPIRAL 2 project

Development of new radioactive beams, and thus of new target ion sources (TISs) for isotope-separator-on-line production systems are in progress at GANIL for the SPIRAL 2 project. The efficiency and time response measurements of each step in the production process are crucial to predict and maximize the available yields, in particular, for short lived isotopes. This paper presents a method for measuring these quantities that makes use of a stable alkali chopped beam of controlled intensity. This method was applied to surface ionization source test for high efficiency. Results of recent experiments are presented that include ionization efficiency measurements for Cs, Rb, K, Na, and Li with a graphite and rhenium ionizer and dwell time of these alkalis on graphite. The results enabled to design a first surface ionization source prototype which will be installed in the SPIRAL 2 TIS.

Direct 1+ --> N+ conversion of stable alkali ions using an electron cyclotron resonance ion source

The production of radioactive ions using the Isotope Separation On-Line method gives rise, in most cases, to singly charged ions. In order to perform experiments with postaccelerated radioactive ion beams, these ions have to be multicharged. We describe here a new compact design for a charge breeder that will be coupled to the production target of SPIRAL1 at GANIL. We present recent results obtained offline with stable alkali ions (Na, K, Rb, and Cs) on the SIRa test bench. Particularly, 1(+) to N(+) conversion efficiencies and conversion times are presented. Several points have been identified for the improvements of the present performances.

Development of a 1+/N+ setup for the production of multicharged radioactive alkali ions in SPIRAL

In the framework of the production of radioactive ion beams by the isotope separator online method, a new system has been developed at GANIL/SPIRAL I to produce multicharged alkali ions. The principle, referred to as the "direct 1+/N+ method," consists of a surface ionization source associated with a multicharged electron-cyclotron-resonance ion source without an intermediate mass separator. This new system has been tested online using a (48)Ca primary beam at 60.3 A MeV. The experimental evidence of the direct 1+/N+ process has been obtained for a potential difference between the two sources of 11 V and with a 1+/N+ charge breeding efficiency of 0.04% for (47)K(5+). This value is significantly lower than the value of 6% obtained for stable K ions with the standard 1+/N+ method. A possible explanation is given in the text.

The radioactive ion beam production systems for the SPIRAL2 project

The SPIRAL2 project, currently under construction at GANIL, will include an isotope separator on line based facility for the production and acceleration of radioactive ion beams. A superconducting linear accelerator will accelerate 5 mA deuterons up to 40 MeV and 1 mA heavy ions up to 14.5 MeV/u. These primary beams will be used to bombard both thick and thin targets. We are investigating three different techniques to produce the radioactive ion beams: (1) the neutron induced fission of uranium carbide, (2) the direct interaction of deuterons in a uranium carbide target, and (3) the interaction of a heavy ion beam with a target. All these production systems will be coupled to an ion source. Four kinds of ion sources are foreseen for the ionization of the radioactive atoms: an electron cyclotron resonance ion source, a surface ionization ion source, a forced electron beam induced arc discharge ion source, and a laser ion source depending on the characteristics of the desired radioactive ion beam in terms of intensity, efficiency, purity, etc. A presentation of the SPIRAL2 project and of the different production systems is given.

Status report of stable and radioactive ion beam production at GANIL

GANIL has been producing many stable and radioactive ion beams for nearly 25 years. Constant progresses have been made in terms of intensity, stability, and reliability. The intensity for some stable metallic beams now exceeds or approaches the p microA level at an energy up to 95 MeV/u, e.g., 1.14 p microA for (36)S (65% enriched) at 77 MeV/u, 0.35 p microA for (58)Ni (63% enriched) at 74 MeV/u. Some recent results with Magnesocene using the metallic ions from volatile compounds method should also make possible the production of metallic beams with an intensity greater than 1 p microA. This has still to be measured. The ISOL facility SPIRAL I has been in operation for almost six years. Up to now, 17 exotic He experiments have been done with 14 target/ion-source (TIS) units; 19 other experiments (with O, Ne, Ar, and Kr) have been achieved with 14 TISs. Statistics show a fairly good ratio of available beam time to scheduled beam time. The radioactive beams and available intensities are compiled in this report. Future developments on radioactive ion beam production are briefly presented, while more details will be discussed elsewhere at this conference.

Pulmonary mucormycosis in a diabetic patient

We present the case of a 54 year-old male from Moldavia with diabetes mellitus (type II diabetic), admitted to hospital in January 1999, with ketoacidosis and consolidation of the lower left lobe. The diagnosis of mucormycosis was confirmed by identification of large, nonseptate hyphae of the order Mucorales. A strain of Rhizopus oryzae (Rhizopus arrhizus) was isolated from culture on sabouraud medium. The patient was treated by systemic amphotericin B, associated with surgical debridement (lobectomy). The treatment with amphotericin B was stopped after ten days and the patient was completely asymptomatic and returned to Moldavia. Mucormycoses are rare, and tend to be encountered in individuals with predisposing factors such as malignant blood disorders (immunocompromised patients) or diabetes mellitus. Prognosis is poor, resembling infection with Aspergillus, despite aggressive treatment as in the present case. The gravity of the condition can be accounted for by the thrombotic and necrosing nature of the fungal invasion of lung vessels.

Multiple ionization in the earlier stages of water radiolysis

We have studied the fragmentation of water vapour molecules induced by collision with a Xe44+ beam at 6.7 MeV/u. From the measurement of the fragment time of flight, we show that the amount of fragmentation due to multiple ionization is very large. In the case of single ionization, we are able to reproduce accurately the experimental cross sections by calculating for each molecular level the single-ionization cross section in the framework of the CDW-EIS theory and with a diagram of dissociation modified with respect to the diagram obtained in the case of dipolar ionization. By using qualitative arguments based on the ability of the medium to neutralize a charged species, we tentatively extend our result to liquid water. From our analysis, we show that ionizations involving three or more ejected electrons could enhance the oxygen production. For the physicochemical phase we estimate that the rate of oxygen production by multiple ionization represents approximately 18% of the OH rate produced by single ionization.

Upper airway walls impedance measured with head plethysmograph

Respiratory input impedance (Zrs) measured by forced oscillations needs to be corrected for the motion of extrathoracic airway walls. Two methods of obtaining the impedance of this shunt pathway [upper airway impedance (Zuaw)] were compared in six normal subjects. In the first, flow was measured at the airway opening during Valsalva maneuvers, as described by Michaelson et al. (10). In the second, motions of upper airway walls were directly assessed during respiratory impedance measurements by use of a head plethysmograph. Larger upper airway impedance values were found during Valsalva maneuvers, corresponding to a larger upper airway resistance (Ruaw) (at 20 Hz, Ruaw = 9.1 +/- 4.7 compared with 7.0 +/- 2.1 cmH2O X 1-1 X s with the second method) and inertance (Iuaw) (Iuaw = 0.053 +/- 0.036 vs. 0.025 +/- 0.008 cmH2O X 1-1 X s2, P less than 0.05) and a lower upper airway compliance (Cuaw) (Cuaw = 0.78 +/- 0.33 vs. 1.15 +/- 0.15 ml X cmH2O-1, P less than 0.05). Active contraction of facial muscles during Valsalva maneuvers may be responsible for this finding. As a consequence, respiratory impedance values are undercorrected when using the Valsalva method, leading in normal subjects to an overestimation of respiratory compliance by 30% and an underestimation of inertance by 16% (P less than 0.05) and promoting positive frequency dependence of respiratory resistance. Substantial errors may be avoided by using a head plethysmograph, which permits measuring Zrs and Zuaw simultaneously.

In-phase rejection requirements for measuring respiratory input impedance

Respiratory flow is commonly obtained by measuring the pressure difference across a pneumotachograph. When respiratory input impedance is studied, that pressure difference may be very small with respect to the absolute pressure swings inside the pneumotachograph. Then the in-phase rejection of the differential pressure transducer is expected to markedly influence the accuracy of the data. The problem was investigated by computer simulation and by measurements on a mechanical analog of the respiratory system made of a resistance, an inertance, and a compliance arranged in series. Both studies demonstrated that comparatively small differences in the volumes of the chambers or in the lengths or diameters of the connecting tubes led to artifactual frequency dependence of resistance and serious misestimation of compliance and inertance. Errors were larger when the resistance of the pneumotachograph was smaller and the impedance of the subject larger. In practice, with usual pneumotachographs accurate impedance measurements require using the most symmetrical transducers presently available (common-mode rejection ratio of about 70 dB at 30 Hz).

Influence of increased alveolar PCO2 on thoracic gas volume measurements

We examined the possibility that cyclic gas exchange between alveolar space and the surrounding tissue, induced by alveolar pressure variations, could interfere with plethysmographic measurements of thoracic gas volume (TGV). A model study suggested that TGV could be overestimated by up to 100 ml and that the phenomenon could account for some of its previously reported negative frequency dependence (J. Appl. Physiol.: Respirat. Environ. Exercise Physiol. 52: 739-747, 1982). As the error would be mainly due to CO2 exchange and be proportional to its partial pressure (PCO2), we studied in nine normal subjects the influence of increasing alveolar PCO2 from 30 to 50 Torr on TGV measurements at panting frequencies (f) of 0.5 and 2-2.5 Hz. Contrary to model predictions, CO2 tended to decrease TGV estimates at low frequency and to increase them at high frequency. As a consequence, frequency dependence of TGV (delta TGV/delta f) was less at high than at low PCO2 (-39 +/- 32 vs. -84 +/- 49 ml x Hz-1, P less than 0.001). The data are not satisfactorily explained but suggest that gas exchange is not an important factor in TGV measurements.

Influence of second-order data filtering on common forced expiration indices

Forced expiratory manoeuvres are extensively recorded using flow meters coupled to pressure transducers, which usually behave like second-order filters. To assess what should be the dynamic characteristics of such equipment for accurate determination of common forced expiration indices, 125 curves were obtained from 25 healthy subjects in the best technical conditions. The flow-time curves were then submitted to various degrees of second-order filtering, and the indices derived from filtered and unfiltered curves were compared. Considering that experimental error is acceptable if it does not exceed 20% of the normal interindividual variability for 95% of the curves, the following conclusion was drawn; with an optimal damping ratio (r) of 0.7, forced expiratory volume in one second, maximum midexpiratory flow rate and maximal expiratory flow at 25% of the forced vital capacity (MEF25) are still correctly measured when the resonant frequency (fn) is as low as 3 Hz. The corresponding figures are 5 Hz for MEF50, 20 Hz for peak expiratory flow rate and above 20 Hz for MEF75. Higher values of fn are usually required when r is higher or lower than 0.7.

[Harmonic content of the flow signal during forced expiration in normal man (author's transl)]

In order to define the minimal frequency response requirements for spirometric measurements, the harmonic content of forced expiratory flow has been assessed in 63 healthy subjects. The amplitude of the harmonics has been found to decrease almost exponentially with increasing frequency. On the average, the cumulated frequency content beyond 10 Hz represented less than 5% of the total frequency content in men, and less than 3% in women. No significant difference has been observed between male smokers and non-smokers. The harmonic content per unit frequency has been found to be correlated to maximal flows at middle and low lung volumes and to maximal mid-expiratory flow up to 4 Hz. For FEV1, maximal flow at 75% of the vital capacity and, particularly, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), the correlations were still significant at quite higher frequencies. The data suggest that, except for PEFR, all these indices may be obtained with a good accuracy when the frequency response of the equipment is flat up to 5-7 Hz.

Comparison of various methods for reading maximal expiratory flow-volume curves

To determine the best procedure for reading maximal expiratory flow-volume curves 2 sets of 5 curves were obtained one hour apart in 89 subjects and processed digitally according to 8 different methods. Four indices were considered: the forced expiratory flows at 25, 50, and 75 per cent of the forced vital capacity, and the maximal mid-expiratory flow. When selecting the curve yielding the largest forced vital capacity or the largest sum of forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec, flow values were significantly lower (P less than 0.001) and were often less reproducible than those obtained with most of the other methods. Computing the mean of the indices among the curves with the 2 largest forced vital capacities also provided comparatively low values, but with with better reproducibility. In contrast, maximal flows were probably overestimated by using the highest values among the curves having forced vital capacity or a surface area within 5 per cent of the largest, or when reading the indices on a composite curve obtained by superimposing individual breaths at residual volume. More reproducible and, probably, unbiased data may be drawn from the composite curves obtained by superimposing the breaths either at total lung capacity or on the descending limb.

Modeling of the relationship between volume variations at the mouth and chest

A model was developed to interpret the difference between volume variations at the mouth and at the chest observed by body plethysmography during inspiration in normal subjects breathing ambient air. The mechanical phenomena were characterized, as usual, by a time constant alpha, the product of airway resistance and alveolar gas compressibility. In contrast to other models, the change in temperature and water vapor pressure of the inspired gas was not considered to be instantaneous but rather a first-order process characterized by a thermal time constant tau. Experimental curves obtained in eight subjects were analyzed by use of parameter estimation techniques. The values of alpha were in agreement with those obtained by conventional plethysmography and tau averaged 63+/-24 ms. The results of additional experiments devised to test the physical meaning of the coefficients and the influence of neglected factors support the validity of the model. It was shown that tau cannot be neglected when breathing air at room temperature.