Projects of Nuclotron modernization and Nuclotron-based ion collider facility (NICA) at JINR

One of the basic facilities at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna is the 6 A GeV Nuclotron, which has replaced the old weak focusing 10-GeV proton accelerator Synchrophasotron. The first relativistic nuclear beams with the energy of 4.2 A GeV were obtained at the Synchrophasotron in 1971. Since that time, relativistic nuclear physics has been one of the main directions of the JINR research program. In the coming years, the new JINR flagship program assumes the experimental study of hot and dense strongly interacting QCD matter at the new JINR facility. This goal is proposed to be reached by (i) development of the existing Nuclotron accelerator facility as a basis for generation of intense beams over atomic mass range from protons to uranium and light polarized ions, (ii) design and construction of the Nuclotron-based heavy Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) with the maximum nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass collision energy of √s _NN = 9 GeV and averaged luminosity 10²⁷ cm⁻² s⁻¹, and (iii) design and construction of the Multipurpose Particle Detector (MPD) at intersecting beams. Realization of the project will lead to unique conditions for research activity of the world community. The NICA energy region is of major interest because the highest nuclear (baryonic) density under laboratory conditions can be reached there. Generation of intense polarized light nuclear beams aimed at investigation of polarization phenomena at the Nuclotron is foreseen. The text was submitted by the author in English.     

JAERI/KEK Joint Project on High-Intensity Proton Accelerators

From JFY01, which started on April 1, 2001, a new accelerator project to provide high-intensity proton beams proceeded into a construction phase. This project is conducted under a cooperation of two institutions, KEK and JAERI. The accelerator complex will provide 1 MW proton beams at 3 GeV and 0.75 MW beams at 50 GeV. The project will be completed within six years. In this article I will describe (a) the project itself, (b) sciences to be pursued at this new accelerator complex and (c) the present status and future plans of the project. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Production of low-energy antiprotons

The production, collection and deceleration of antiprotons is reviewed with the aim of establishing guidelines for the design of a simple yet efficient source of stopped antiprotons. A high-energy (20–100 GeV) high-intensity (∼10¹³ protons/pulse) proton accelerator is needed to produce antiprotons in copious numbers. A “passive” conversion-target consisting of a thin iridium rod embedded in graphite, and a magnetic-horn type lens to collect the antiproton flux from the target represent a good compromise between yield and reliability. To transport the flux to low energy a large-acceptance cooling and deceleration ring working up to an energy equal to one-eighth to one-tenth of the primary proton energy is required. Stochastic cooling (at high energy) and electron cooling (at lower energy) are indispensable for providing low-energy beams of useful density. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Generation of ultra-intense ion beams by a short-pulse laser

This paper summarizes briefly the main experimental and numerical results of the IPPLM team studies on the generation of ultra-intense ion beams by a short (≤1?ps) laser pulse. Basic laser-driven ion acceleration schemes capable of generating such ion beams are described including the target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) scheme, the skin-layer ponderomotive acceleration (SLPA) scheme and the laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration (LICPA) scheme. It is shown that an efficient way for achieving high ion beam intensities and fluencies lies in using a short-wavelength laser driver of circular light polarization. In such a case, SLPA clearly dominates over TNSA, and dense and compact ion bunch is generated with high energetic efficiency. The LICPA scheme operating in the photon (radiation) pressure regime can be even more efficient than SLPA. As it is demonstrated by particle-in-cell simulations, the LICPA accelerator with a picosecond, circularly polarized laser driver of intensity ～ 10²¹_?W/cm² can produce sub-picosecond light ion beams of intensity ～ 10²²?W/cm² and fluence?>?1?GJ/cm² with the energetic efficiency of tens of percent. Laser-driven ion beams of such extreme parameters could open up new research areas in high-energy-density science, inertial fusion or nuclear physics.     

Preliminary design studies of a 100 MeV H−/H+ LINAC as injector for SNS synchrotron/ADS LINAC

It is proposed to construct a spallation neutron source (SNS) at Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT) based on a 1 GeV proton synchrotron with 100 MeV H⁻ LINAC as injector. Additionally, the LINAC can form the first 100 MeV part of a 1 GeV proton LINAC to be built in future for accelerator driven system (ADS) applications. We are exploring a configuration of the 100 MeV LINAC which will consist of an H⁻ ion source, a 4–6 MeV RFQ followed either by a 20 MeV drift tube LINAC (DTL) and 100 MeV separated function drift tube LINAC (SDTL) or a coupled cavity drift tube LINAC (CCDTL) structure. In this paper, we present the results of our preliminary physics design studies of the RFQ-SDTL, RFQ-CCDTL and RFQ-DTL-SDTL configurations. The design of the 4.5 MeV RFQ is discussed along with the matching sections between the RFQ-SDTL/DTL and RFQ-CCDTL. The choice of the accelerator configuration and that of various parameters of the individual accelerator structures under consideration are discussed. The design objectives are to arrive at a configuration which eases heat removal for CW operation and which is less prone to halo formation in order to reduce the beam loss at higher energies.     

Booster synchrotron of NICA accelerator complex

NICA is a new accelerator complex being constructed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research; the main task of this complex is to perform collider experiments for ion beams up to uranium with energies of up to 3.5 × 3.5 GeV/nucleon. This complex includes an electron string ion source, a 6 MeV/nucleon linear accelerator, a booster, the Nuclotron, and a collider with an average luminosity of 10²⁷ cm² s^?1. The main tasks of the booster are to accumulate up to 4 × 10^{9 197}Au³²⁺ ions, to accelerate to 600 MeV/nucleon (sufficient enough energy for completely stripping nuclei), to reduce the requirements of vacuum conditions for the Nuclotron, and to form the necessary beam emittance using an electron cooling system. The specific features of the NICA booster and the requirements for the basic systems of the synchrotron and their parameters are presented in this paper.     

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.     

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).     

η production in nuclei by protons at Tp≦ 1 GeV

The reactionpA →η X has been measured on⁶Li, C and Cu targets at a proton energy of 0.9 GeV at the SATURNE accelerator. The doubly differential cross sections at T_p=0.9 GeV together with data at T_p=1 GeV, previously presented [1], are analysed in the frame of a recent folding model [3].     

Hydrogen depth profiling using18O ions

Nuclear resonant reaction analysis techniques for hydrogen depth profiling in solid materials typically have used¹⁵N ion beams at 6.40 MeV and¹⁹F ion beams at 6.42 MeV, which require a tandem accelerator. We report a new technique using an¹⁸O ion beam at a resonance energy of 2.70 MeV, which requires only a single stage accelerator. Improved values of the nuclear parameters for the 2.70 MeV (¹⁸O) and 6.40 MeV (¹⁵N) resonances are reported. The beam energy spread was investigated for different ions and ion charge states and found to scale with the charge state. Data obtained using atomic and molecular gas targets reveal the research potential of Doppler spectroscopy. Examples of hydrogen depth profiling in solid materials using¹⁵N and¹⁸O ion beams are presented.     

“闪光二号”加速器HPIB的产生及应用初步结果

主要给出了“闪光二号”加速器高功率离子束(HPIB)产生及应用研究的初步结果.介绍了强箍缩反射离子束二极管的结构及工作原理，给出了考虑阴阳极产生的等离子体运动对二极管间隙影响的饱和顺位流修正公式.实验得到的离子束峰值能量约500keV，峰值电流约160kA.介绍了利用高功率离子束(质子束)轰击¹⁹F靶产生6—7MeV准单能脉冲γ射线的初步实验结果，给出了利用高功率脉冲离子束模拟1keV黑体辐射x射线对材料的热-力学效应初步研究结果. 关键词： 高功率离子束 箍缩二极管 准单能脉冲γ射线 热-力学效应     

Recent progress of laser driven particle acceleration at Peking University

Recently, radiation pressure acceleration （RPA） has been proposed and extensively studied, which shows that circularly polarized （CP） laser pulses can accelerate mono-energetic ion bunches in a phase-stable-acceleration （PSA） way from ultrathin foils. It is found that self-orgizing proton beam can be stably accelerated to GeV in the interaction of a CP laser with a planar target at 1022 W/cm2. A project called Compact LAser Plasma proton Accelerator （CLAPA） is approved by MOST in China recently. A prototype of laser driven proton accelerator （1 to 15 MeV/1 Hz） based on the PSA mechanism and plasma lens is going to be built at Peking University in the next five years. It will be upgraded to 200 MeV later for applications such as cancer therapy, plasma imaging and fast ignitiou for inertial confine fusion.     

NICA at JINR: New prospects for exploration of quark-gluon matter

A new scientific program is proposed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna aimed at studies of hot and dense baryonic matter in the wide energy range from 2 GeV/u kinetic energy in fixed target experiments to $\sqrt {s_{NN} } = 4 - 11$ GeV/u in the collider mode. To realize this program the development of the JINR accelerator facility in high-energy physics (HEP) has been started. This facility is based on the existing superconducting synchrotron??the Nuclotron. The program foresees both experiments at the beams extracted from the Nuclotron, and the construction of a heavy-ion collider??the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) which is designed to reach the required parameters with an average luminosity of L = 10²⁷ cm^?2 s^?1.     

Demonstration of a narrow energy spread, ∼0.5 GeV electron beam from a two-stage laser wakefield accelerator

Laser wakefield acceleration of electrons holds great promise for producing ultracompact stages of GeV scale, high-quality electron beams for applications such as x-ray free electron lasers and high-energy colliders. Ultrahigh intensity laser pulses can be self-guided by relativistic plasma waves (the wake) over tens of vacuum diffraction lengths, to give >1 GeV energy in centimeter-scale low density plasmas using ionization-induced injection to inject charge into the wake even at low densities. By restricting electron injection to a distinct short region, the injector stage, energetic electron beams (of the order of 100 MeV) with a relatively large energy spread are generated. Some of these electrons are then further accelerated by a second, longer accelerator stage, which increases their energy to ～0.5 GeV while reducing the relative energy spread to <5% FWHM.     

Gafchromic® EBT films for ion dosimetry

For dose delivery to patients, scanning ion beams are going to be increasingly used in the upcoming ion beam therapy facilities. Especially carbon ion beams are able to produce steep dose gradients. However, the currently used method for patient dose verification, employing ionization chamber arrays, provides a spatial resolution of 1 cm only. As continuous media, EBT films, widely used in photon therapy, are interesting candidates to be used for this purpose. The EBT film is the ancestor of the currently available EBT2 film. In our contribution two dimensional dosimetry and film response quenching in ion beams were investigated. For a real ¹²C patient plan a good qualitative agreement with the planned dose distribution including a high signal-to-noise ratio and a good resolution in the measured photon-equivalent dose was found. The depth-dose response of EBT films for a ¹²C ion beam shows response quenching, which rises towards the Bragg peak. It was quantified by the relative efficiency determined at different depths. Furthermore, the relative efficiency was measured in monoenergetic proton and carbon ion beams. All the measured efficiencies show no significant dependency on the dose up to the highest measured doses of 6 Gy. However, differences between proton and carbon ions as well as between carbon ion beams of different energies were observed. The measurements reveal, that the use of EBT films for absolute dose verification measurements requires to take the relative efficiency into account, dependent on the ion type and energy.     

Threshold strangeness production in pp interactions

During the actual lectures, features of the COSY-Jülich accelerator were presented, followed by a short summary of ongoing experiments at the COoler SYnchrotron COSY using internal as well as external beams in the range of 45 MeV to 2.5 GeV. Here the research of the COSY-11 collaboration is presented. This °⁰ facility studies the hidden and open strangeness production observing the ν and η′ as well the K⁺Y and K⁺K^? production in the proton—proton interactions at the respective thresholds.     

Proton and light-ion acceleration to relativistic GeV energies by the superstrong laser radiation interacting with a structured plasma target

A new scheme is proposed for proton and light-ion acceleration to relativistic energies by superstrong laser radiation interacting with a structured plasma target. The proposal consists in the use of two-component targets consisting of heavy and light ions, where an ambipolar field is formed under the action of the ponderomotive force of incident radiation, and, in contrast to the traditional schemes, acceleration starts from the front boundary of the layer. It is shown that, for the optimized target parameters, monoenergetic GeV ion beams can be produced for radiation pulse intensities on the order of 10²¹−10²² W/cm².     

Polarized pp physics with internal jet targets at RHIC

The physics scope of RHIC could be extended to include fixed target experiments by the addition of a gas jet target. Two applications stand out among many possibilities. RHIC is the first accelerator to provide polarized proton beams with energy above 30 GeV. Extensive studies of pp colliding beams are planned for RHIC, but these will not cover the energy range covered with a fixed target, where the scattering of polarized protons from protons has not been adequately studied. Another important application is the possible use of a hydrocarbon jet to obtain a rapid and precise measurement of the polarization of the RHIC proton beams. A gas jet target with associated recoil detectors, electronics, and vacuum pumps is available and can be installed with low incremental costs on a short time scale.     

Beam optics of the folded tandem ion accelerator at BARC

The beam optics of the 6 MV folded tandem ion accelerator, that has recently been commissioned at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, is presented. Typical beam trajectories for proton and ¹²C beams under different conditions, are shown. The constraints on the design due to the use of the infrastructure of the Van de Graaff accelerator, which existed earlier, are discussed.     

Operation of the CSNS Penning surface H− ion source

The accelerator complex of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) consists of a H⁻ linear accelerator (linac) and a rapid cycling synchrotron (RCS). The linac contains a Penning surface H⁻ ion source. The designed energy and the beam current of the source are 50 keV and 20 mA respectively, with a normalized root mean square (norm. rms.) emittance of 0.2π mm mrad. The manufactures and tests of the discharge chamber are in great progress. The construction of H⁻ ion source test stand has been completed, and the operation of the source is also in progress. Stable H⁻ ion beams with energy of 50 keV and current up to 50 mA are attained. Emittance measurement for the H⁻ beam is being prepared.