Progress in development of Nuclotron accelerator complex

The Nuclotron superconducting synchrotron was constructed in 1987–1992 [1]; it is the world’s first synchrotron based on fast cycling “window frame” electromagnets with a superconducting coil. For a design field of dipole magnets of 2 T, the magnetic rigidity is 45 T m, which corresponds to the energy of heavy nuclei (for example, gold) of 4.5 GeV/nucleon. The Nuclotron accelerator complex is currently being upgraded (the Nuclotron-M project); this upgrade is considered a key part of the first stage of fulfilling the new Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) project: the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility and Multi-Purpose Detector (NICA/MPD). The most important task of this new project is the preparation of basic Nuclotron systems for its reliable operation as part of the NICA accelerator complex. Basic results of activity on the project, which started in 2007, are presented and the results of the last Nuclotron runs are analyzed.     

Development of a superconducting LINAC booster for the pelletron at mumbai

A superconducting linear accelerator (LINAC) to boost the energy of the heavy ion beams from the 14 UD pelletron accelerator at Mumbai is under development. The booster is based on quarter wave resonators (QWR) coated with lead which is superconducting at liquid helium temperature. The operating frequency is 150 MHz. Four resonators each are mounted in a cryostat module built indigenously. A total of seven such modules arranged in two arms with an isochronous and achromatic beam bend in the middle comprises the full LINAC. The transverse focusing of the beam through the LINAC is carried out using periodic quadrupole doublet magnets operating at room temperature. The present status of the project is described.     

HITFiL同步加速器剥离注入

一台新的治癌专用加速器HITFiL正在设计和建造中,其中一台同步加速器为其主加速器,以高紧凑性、高可靠性和低成本为设计目标。同步加速器的注入系统采用剥离注入方式,剥离注入与单圈注入方式相比能达到较高的注入效率,而其造价明显低于多圈注入加电子冷却的注入方式。治癌采用碳粒子束,从ECR离子源产生的C5+离子经过回旋加速器预加速后在同步加速器注入点处剥离成为C6+注入到环里。详细阐述了该注入系统的设计方案,并对整个注入过程进行了计算机模拟。在模拟过程中,对束流的注入效率、束流损失机制和粒子数增益进行了研究,得到了实空间和相空间的粒子分布和发射度增长趋势,得到了满足要求的束流流强。     

Correctors’ Magnets for the NICA Booster and Collider

Physics of Particles and Nuclei Letters - The NICA accelerator complex will consist of two injector chains, a new 600 MeV/u superconducting booster synchrotron, the existing superconducting...     

Status of NICA complex at JINR

New scientific program is proposed at Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna aimed a study of hot and dense baryonic matter in the wide energy region from 2 GeV/amu to √s _NN = 11 GeV, and investigation of nucleon spin structure with polarized protons and deuterons maximum energy in the c.m. 27 GeV (for protons). To realize this program the development of JINR accelerator facility in high energy physics has started. This facility is based on the existing superconducting synchrotron—Nuclotron. The program foresees both experiments at the beams extracted from the Nuclotron, and construction of ion collider—the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA).     

Superconducting linear accelerator system for NSC

This paper reports the construction of a superconducting linear accelerator as a booster to the 15 UD Pelletron accelerator at Nuclear Science Centre, New Delhi. The LINAC will use superconducting niobium quarter wave resonators as the accelerating element. Construction of the linear accelerator has progressed sufficiently. Details of the entire accelerator system including the cryogenics facility, RF electronics development, facilities for fabricating niobium resonators indigenously, and present status of the project are presented.     

System of quench detection in superconducting magnets of the nuclotron accelerator complex

A new system for quench detection in windings of superconducting magnets has been created for the Nuclotron synchrotron during the period from 2007 to 2012 during the course of preparing the accelerator for its work as part of the injection chain of the NICA heavy-ion collider and as a source of relativistic heavy ions for baryonic matter in the Nuclotron (BM@N) experiment. The results of testing the system components and its trial operation during the accelerator runs are given.     

First Experimental Data on a New SR Beamline of the VEPP-2000 Complex for the HL-LHC Vacuum System

In the framework of the large hadron collider (LHC) upgrade project, new materials are proposed for the vacuum. Amorphous carbon deposited onto the vacuum-chamber wall is examined as a coating with a low secondary electron emission rate for superconducting systems designed to upgrade the LHC, i.e., to increase the luminosity of the machine (HL-LHC). Since protons will generate synchrotron radiation with a critical energy of ~10 eV and a flux of 1016 photon m–1 s–1, it is important to study the effect of photons on a surface covered with amorphous carbon at room and cryogenic temperatures. The construction and parameters of the setup on the new synchrotron beamline of the VEPP-2000 booster are described. The first results of measuring the photodesorption coefficient are also presented.     

Beam-cooling methods in the NICA project

The Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility (NICA) is a new accelerator complex under construction at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) for experiments with colliding beams of heavy ions up to gold at energies as high as 4.5 × 4.5 GeV/u aimed at studying hot and dense strongly interacting nuclear matter and searching for possible indications of the mixed phase state and critical points of phase transitions. This facility comprises an ion source of the electron-string type, a 3-MeV/u linear accelerator, a 600-MeV/u superconducting booster synchrotron (Booster), a Nuclotron (upgraded superconducting synchrotron with a maximum energy of 4.5 GeV/u for ions with the charge-to-mass ratio Z/A = 1/3), and a collider consisting of two vertically separated superconducting rings with an average luminosity of 10²⁷ cm^?2 s^?1 in an energy range over 3.0 GeV/u. Beam cooling is supposed to be used in two NICA elements, the Booster, and the collider rings. The Booster is intended for the storage of ¹⁹⁷Au³¹⁺ ions to an intensity of about 4 × 10⁹ particles; their acceleration to the energy 600 MeV/u, which is sufficient for the complete stripping of nuclei (an increase in the injection energy and the charge state of ions makes the requirements for vacuum conditions in the Nuclotron less stringent); and the formation of the necessary beam emittance using the electron cooling system. Two independent beam-cooling systems, a stochastic one and an electron one, are supposed to be used in the collider. The parameters of the cooling systems, the optimum mode of operation for the collider, and the arrangement and design of the elements of the systems are discussed.     

Superconducting LINAC booster for the mumbai pelletron

We are in the process of constructing a superconducting linear accelerator (LINAC), to boost the energy of heavy ion beams from the 14UD Pelletron accelerator, at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. The accelerating structures in the LINAC are quarter wave resonators (QWR) coated with lead which is superconducting at liquid helium temperature. With feasibility studies having been completed during the course of the 4th and 5th five-year plan periods, culminating with the demonstration of beam acceleration using one accelerating module, the construction of the LINAC is now under way.     

Low emittance lattice for the storage ring of the Turkish Light Source Facility TURKAY

The TAC(Turkish Accelerator Center) project aims to build an accelerator center in Turkey. The first stage of the project is to construct an Infra-Red Free Electron Laser(IR-FEL) facility. The second stage is to build a synchrotron radiation facility named TURKAY, which is a third generation synchrotron radiation light source that aims to achieve a high brilliance photon beam from a low emittance electron beam at 3 Ge V. The electron beam parameters are highly dependent on the magnetic lattice of the storage ring. In this paper a low emittance storage ring for TURKAY is proposed and the beam dynamic properties of the magnetic lattice are investigated.     

Beam focusing in a linear ion accelerator consisting of a periodic sequence of independently phased superconducting cavities

Focusing of a low-energy beam of heavy ions in a linear accelerator based on a periodic sequence of independently phased superconducting cavities is considered. The possibility of heavy ion beam focusing by a system of superconducting solenoids is analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of this focusing technique are considered. It is shown that solenoids with a magnetic field exceeding B = 15 T are required for focusing ion beams with a small charge-to-mass ratio Z/A ≈ 1/66 in a superconducting accelerator.     

First observation of intrabeam stripping of negative hydrogen in a superconducting linear accelerator

We report on an experiment in which a negative hydrogen ion beam in the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) linear accelerator was replaced with a beam of protons with similar size and dynamics. Fractional beam loss in the superconducting part of the SNS accelerator was measured to be at least 2×10(-5) for the H(-) beam, and it was an order of magnitude lower for the protons. Also beam loss has a stronger dependence on intensity with H(-) than with proton beams. These measurements verify a recent theoretical explanation of unexpected beam losses in the SNS superconducting linear accelerator based on an intrabeam stripping mechanism for negative hydrogen ions. This previously unidentified mechanism for beam loss is important for the design of new high current linear ion accelerators and the performance improvement of existing machines.     

H− superconducting cyclotron for PET isotope production

The scientific design of a 14-MeV H^? compact superconducting cyclotron for producing of the ¹⁸F and ¹³N isotopes has been developed. Main requirements to the facility as a medical accelerator are met in the design. In particular, the main requirement for the cyclotron was the smallest possible size due to the superconducting magnet. The calculations show that the proposed cyclotron allows extracted beam intensity over 500 μA. To increase system reliability and production rates, an external H^? ion source is applied. The choice of the cyclotron concept, design of the structure elements, calculation of the electromagnetic fields and beam dynamics from the ion source to the extraction system were performed.     

Results of the Nuclotron-M project

The main goal of the Nuclotron-M project, approved in 2007, was formulated as follows: modernization of the main accelerator systems for reliable and safe operation of the Nuclotron as a part of the accelerator facility NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility) being constructed at JINR. Demonstration of heavy-ion beam acceleration (with atomic mass number higher than 100) as well as safe and stable operation of the main superconducting system operation at a magnetic field of up to 2 T had been defined as criteria of successful project fulfillment. Another very important issue is performance of stable, long-term beam runs and increase of the accelerated beam intensity. All the main goals of the Nuclotron-M project had been successfully achieved by the end of 2010. In this report we give an overview of the project realization chronology and present the main experimental results obtained at LHEP Nuclotron accelerator facility in the period from 2007 to early 2011.     

MEGHNAD — A multi element detector array for heavy ion collision studies

In the coming decade, the expanding field of experimental nuclear physics in our country is going to see a quantum leap in research and developmental activities with new accelerator facilities like the variable energy cyclotron with ECR heavy ion source, the upcoming K-500 superconducting cyclotron, both at VECC, Calcutta, and the superconducting linac boosters at both the Pelletron Accelerator Facilities at TIFR, Mumbai and NSC, New Delhi. When heavy ion beam available from such machines fall on a target and undergo collision, very rich and often pristine fields of research open up. In order to carry on such activities, we have taken up a project to build a multi element gamma, heavy ion and neutron array of detectors (MEGHNAD) to detect and study the properties of a wide variety of particles like neutrons, protons, light mass clusters, massive ejected fragments, and gamma rays with good solid angle coverage and efficiency. Design of the detector array, performance of the prototype detector and brief outline of the research programme to be undertaken with the detector array will be discussed. For MEGHNAD Project.     

Non-Liouvillian carbon nucleus accumulation at the ITEP storage accelerator facility

Physical start-up of the new heavy-ion storage accelerator facility has been successfully performed at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics. Carbon nuclei with an energy of 200 MeV/n are accumulated in the storage ring of the 10-GeV U-10 proton synchrotron, which is converted into an ion accumulator. The accumulation is accomplished using solid-target charge exchange of C⁴⁺ ions that are accelerated in the UK booster synchrotron. Thus, non-Liouvillian carbon nucleus accumulation is accomplished experimentally. Our immediate goal is to raise the amount of accumulated nuclei to 2 × 10¹², which corresponds to the possibilities of the available facility configuration.     

Cryogenics for the future accelerator complex NICA at JINR

The NICA cryogenics will be based on the modernized liquid helium plant that was b uilt in the early 90’s for the superconducting synchrotron known as the Nuclotron. The main goals of the modernization are: increasing of the total refrigerator capacity from 4000 W to 8000 W at 4.5 K, making a new distribution system of liquid helium, and ensuring the shortest possible cool down time. These goals will be achieved by means of an additional 1000 l/hour helium liquefier and “satellite” refrigerators located near the accelerator rings. This report describes the design choices of the NICA, demonstrates helium flow diagrams with major new components and briefly informs of the liquid nitrogen system that will be used for shield cooling at 77 K and at the first stage of cooling down of three accelerator rings with the total length of about 1 km and “cold” mass of 290 tons.     

Beam Dynamics Simulation in the LINAC-100 Accelerator Driver for the DERICA Project

The results of uranium ion beam dynamics simulation in front-end and superconducting sections of the accelerator-driver LINAC-100 for the new rare isotope facility DERICA (JINR, Dubna) are presented. The optimum parameters are chosen for the buncher accelerator with radiofrequency quadrupole focusing (RFQ) for uranium ion beam acceleration from the ion source up to the energy of 570 keV/nucleon. LINAC-100 modular superconducting part layout for uranium beam acceleration from 3 to 100 MeV/nucleon is obtained. The energies for the stripper section installation are chosen.

     

A massive-ion beam driver for high-energy-density physics and future inertial fusion

Several heavy ion drivers for heavy ion inertial fusion have been proposed in the US and Europe, based on linear induction accelerator technology [1] and existing RF technology [2], respectively, although they have not been realized on a large scale. Developing accelerator technology may provide an alternative efficient, robust, and relatively cheap massive-ion beam driver for future particle beam inertial fusion. Here, we propose an accelerator complex for accelerating giant cluster ions, instead of lead or bismuth ions, toward 120 GeV by using induction acceleration over the entire energy region. The proposed two-way multiplex induction synchrotron that is the main accelerator for the giant cluster ion beam would be equivalent to 10 synchrotrons of the same size for a single beam.