Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2301.13717

H- Beam formation simulation in negative ion source for CERN's Linac4 accelerator

Anna Vnuchenko·Jacques Lettry·Dirk Wünderlich·Serhiy Mochalskyy·Ursel Fantz·Max Lindqvist·Tiberiu Minea·Adrien Revel
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The caesiated surface negative ion source is the first element of CERN's LINAC4 a linear injector designed to accelerate negative hydrogen ions to 160 MeV. The IS03 ion source is operated at 35 mA beam intensity and reliably feeds CERN's accelerator chain, H- ions are generated via plasma volume and caesiated molybdenum plasma electrode surface mechanisms. Studying the beam extraction region of this H- ion source is essential for optimizing the H- production. The 3D Particle-in-cell Monte Carlo code ONIX (Orsay Negative Ion eXtraction), written to study H- beam formation processes in neutral injectors for fusion, has been adapted to single aperture accelerator H- sources. The code was modified to match the conditions of the beam formation and extraction regions of the Linac4 H- source. A set of parameters was chosen to characterize the plasma and to match the specific volume and surface production modes. Simulated results of the extraction regions are presented and benchmarked with experimental results obtained at the Linac4 test stand.

Explore related subjects

physics.acc-ph

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Anna Vnuchenko, Jacques Lettry, Dirk Wünderlich, Serhiy Mochalskyy, Ursel Fantz, Max Lindqvist, Tiberiu Minea, Adrien Revel. 2023-01-31. H- Beam formation simulation in negative ion source for CERN's Linac4 accelerator. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221%2F18%2F08%2Fc08001

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Production of a Titanium Ion Beam Using Fluorides and Fluorine-Forming Precursors in an ECR Ion Source

The production of multiply charged titanium ions is of significant interest for accelerator-based experiments, surface modification technologies, and applications in nuclear physics. Due to the low saturated vapor pressure of titanium at temperatures below 1000 °C, the generation of titanium ion beams from an electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) remains a challenging task. The choice of titanium vapor injection methods into the ECR plasma plays a key role in achieving high ionization efficiency, plasma stability, and reliable long-term source operation. In this work, alternative approaches for the injection of neutral titanium atoms into the ECR plasma are investigated, focusing on the use of fluorine-containing compounds. Titanium fluorides (TiF3, TiF4) possess a relatively high saturated vapor pressure at moderate temperatures, allowing to use standard resistively heated ovens operating up to 1000 °C. Another method involves the in-situ formation of titanium fluorides inside the plasma chamber via chemical reactions between metal titanium and the dissociation products of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). These approaches enable controlled and efficient titanium injection into the ECRIS plasma with satisfactory extracted ion beam stability.

physics.acc-ph↗
arXiv2026

Three Dimensional Theory of the Ion Channel Laser

The ion channel laser (ICL) is a plasma-based alternative to the free electron laser (FEL) that uses the electric field of a uniform-density ion channel rather than the magnetic field of an undulator to induce transverse oscillations of electrons in an ultrarelativistic bunch and thereby produce coherent radiation via a collective electromagnetic instability. The powerful focusing of the ion channel generally yields significantly higher gain parameters in the ICL as compared to the FEL. This permits lasing in extremely short distances using electron bunches with an energy spread as large as a few percent; a value readily achievable with current plasma-based accelerators. ICLs, however, impose stringent transverse phase space requirements on the electron bunch beyond what is required in FELs. In this work, we present a novel 3D theory of the planar off-axis configuration of the ICL that accounts for a number of effects including diffraction, transverse radiation profile, frequency and betatron phase detuning, and nonzero spread in energy and undulator parameter. We derive the ICL pendulum and field equations, which we use to write down the 3D Maxwell-Klimontovich equations. After linearizing, we obtain an integro-differential equation describing the $z$-evolution of the radiation field. The 3D ICL dispersion relation is obtained using a Van Kampen normal mode expansion. We numerically solve the $z$-evolution equation to compute radiation power growth rates and transverse radiation profiles over a range of different ICL parameters. We examine the gain reduction due to 3D effects, energy spread, and emittance. Electron bunch phase space and emittance requirements for lasing are derived. Finally, we make general observations about the performance and feasibility of the ICL and discuss future prospects.

physics.acc-ph↗
arXiv2026

Integration of Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Knowledge Access in the ELBE Accelerator Control System

The efficient operation of accelerator facilities increas- ingly relies on rapid access to heterogeneous operational knowledge, including logbooks, interlock reports, machine parameters, and historical archive data. At ELBE, we pro- posed a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) frame- work that integrates facility documentation and operational records into a unified AI-assisted support tool for operators. The system is expected to index electronic logbooks, ma- chine archive time-series data, and subsystem manuals using domain-adapted embeddings stored in a vector database. User queries will be expected to be processed through a large language model that retrieves the most relevant oper- ational context and generates structured, operator-oriented responses with traceable source references. This contribu- tion presents the system architecture, data integration strat- egy, and challenges toward real-time AI-assisted accelerator operation

physics.acc-ph↗