IC-100 accelerator complex for scientific and applied research

Industrial production of nuclear filters has been implemented at the IC-100 cyclotron complex of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. After the complete upgrade, the cyclotron was equipped with the superconducting ECR ion source and the system of external axial beam injection. The implantation complex was equipped with the special transportation channel with the beam scanning system and the setup for irradiation of polymer films. Intense beams of heavy ions Ne, Ar, Fe, Kr, Xe, I, and W with an energy of ～1 MeV/nucleon were obtained. the properties of irradiated crystals were studied, different polymer films were irradiated, and several thousands of square meters of track membranes with pore densities varying in a wide range were produced. Other scientific and applied problems can be solved at the cyclotron complex.     

Correction of vertical displacement of extracted beam during commissioning tests of the DC-110 cyclotron

The specialized DC-110 heavy ion cyclotron has been developed and created at the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research for the BETA research and production complex in Dubna (Russia), which allows producing intense accelerated Ar, Kr, and Xe ion beams with a fixed energy of 2.5 MeV/nucleon. Commissioning works on the cyclotron complex, during which the design parameters were obtained, were carried out at the end of 2012. During commissioning of the accelerator, vertical displacement of the beam was found at the final acceleration radii and during its extraction. It is shown that the main cause of this displacement was the occurrence of a radial component of the magnetic field in the median plane of the magnet caused by asymmetry of the magnetic circuit. Vertical beam displacement was corrected by creating asymmetry of the current in the main electromagnet winding of the DC-110 cyclotron.     

An additional carbon ion transport channel for biological research at the nuclotron of the joint institute for nuclear research

This paper describes the construction of the beam ¹²C⁺⁶ transport line for biomedical research at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) Nuclotron accelerator complex. We have studied the scheme and operating modes of magneto-optical elements of the channel. The calculation results are presented for the carbon ion transport channel under study. The control algorithms of the carbon ion beam in the transportation system are discussed. The choice of the magneto-optical system is explained. The beam envelopes in the channel are plotted. The beam scanning control functions are considered.     

Cascade Transformer Based on the Volume Coil for Power Transmission under High Voltage

The use of an electronic cooling system at the High Intensity heavy ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF) accelerator complex, which is being developed at the Institute of Modern Physics (China), to improve the efficiency of ion injection into the accelerator and reduce the spread of ion pulses in the beam has been proposed. Electron cooling of the ion beam was carried out due to the interaction of ions with a continuous electron beam with a current of up to 3 A, energy of up to 450 keV, and energy stability at the level of 10^–4 or better. The electron beam energy recuperation was carried out at the expense of a power source with a power of 5–15 kW, which was located at the top of a high-voltage column—a high-voltage terminal. The operation of a prototype of power transmission system, which was based on a cascade transformer with a volumetric coil, has been considered. Such a transformer has a relatively low scattering inductance, which can significantly reduce the number of capacitors to compensate for it. It has been shown that this design made it possible to transfer power of up to 40 kW at small dimensions of the transformer and heat dissipation in it was not more than 10 kW.     

Vacuum system of heavy ion cyclotron complex DC-60

The vacuum system of the heavy ion cyclotron complex DC-60 created at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research for the interdisciplinary research complex (Astana, Kazakhstan) is described. The results of numerical simulation of transmission efficiency of accelerated ions in the course of recharging on residual gas, which determines the basic parameters of the designed vacuum system, are presented. As a result of successful implementation of the cyclotron complex DC-60 project, heavy ion beams were accelerated. The obtained parameters of the vacuum system agree completely with calculations, which were the basis of the project.     

重离子治疗肿瘤点扫描控制系统

为了实现重离子治疗肿瘤点扫描,对扫描磁铁进行相应的控制。治疗计划进行剂量与肿瘤适形数据的生成,并传输至点扫描控制器与剂量控制器。同时也向点扫描控制器中存入事例数据,以纳入整个加速器控制时序,等待同步时间事例系统的事例触发。点扫描控制器根据剂量控制器的脉冲控制换点治疗操作以及进行换点治疗的扫描磁铁插值算法平滑处理。剂量控制器对气体电离室前端电子学已经刻度的剂量脉冲进行计数。当达到治疗剂量时,控制法拉第筒来阻挡束流,实现点扫描安全治疗。实验证明在现有的电源与磁铁等设备条件以及束流品质下,点扫描控制系统能实现2mm点间距扫描。     

强流重离子加速器装置的增强器慢引出系统

中国科学院近代物理研究所承担的强流重离子加速器装置目前已进入了初步设计阶段。增强器作为该装置的主加速器,可利用双向涂抹技术将238U35+束的粒子数累积至1.0×1011,并将其从注入能量为17 MeV/u加速至高能量,引出能量的范围为200-835 MeV/u。为了提供s量级的准连续束以开展辐照实验,增强器中设计了慢引出系统,该系统将采用三分之一共振与RF-knockout的引出方法。同步加速器中有两种不同种类的六极磁铁,用于实现色品校正与共振驱动,并在设计中考虑了两者能同时运行并互不影响。针对增强器中不同引出能量的238U35+束,对其相应的稳定接受度模拟结果进行了比较,并给出了在引出静电偏转板处的光学匹配参数,这将为增强器中重离子束的慢引出及放射性次级束流分离器的入口光学设计提供重要的理论依据。     

Booster-Nuclotron beam line for NICA project

This paper presents the concept of the booster-Nuclotron beam line for the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) accelerator complex being developed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna, Russia). The beam line serves for ion beam transportation and stripping at an intermediate energy. The magnetic system of the beam line is considered. The results of a simulation of gold Au³²⁺/Au⁷⁹⁺ ion beam dynamics in the beam line are presented.     

Heavy-ion LINAC development for the US RIA project

The Nuclear Science Community in the Unites States has unanimously concluded that developments in both nuclear science and its supporting technologies make building a world-leading Rare-Isotope Accelerator (RIA) facility for production of radioactive beams the top priority. The RIA development effort involves several US Laboratories (ANL, JLAB, LBNL, MSU, ORNL). The RIA facility includes a CW 1.4 GeV driver LINAC and a 100 MV post-accelerator both based on superconducting (SC) cavities operating at frequencies from 48 MHz to 805 MHz. An initial acceleration in both LINACs is provided by room temperature RFQs. The driver LINAC is designed for acceleration of any ion species; from protons up to 900 MeV to uranium up to 400 MeV/u. The novel feature of the driver LINAC is an acceleration of multiple charge-state heavy-ion beams in order to achieve 400 kW beam power. Basic design concepts of the driver LINAC are given. Several new conceptual solutions in beam dynamics, room temperature and SC accelerating structures for heavy ion accelerator applications are discussed.     

CIAE重离子加速器物理研究平台

中国原子能科学研究院正在规划中的重离子加速器物理研究平台的基本方案是在 现有的HI-13串列加速器的后端新建一台能量增益为18MeV/q的重离子超导直线加速器.超导直线加速器包括: 36个铜铌溅射型四分之一波长(QWR)谐振腔; 9个恒温柜, 及一系列等时性消色散束流传输系统. 同时配套建设一条与现有的HI-13串列加速器相并列的重离子四杆型射频四极加速器——RFQ和交叉手指型漂移管直线加速器IH-DTL接受来自ISOL的正离子束,然后直接注入到超导直线加速器.     

Calculation of ion transport beam lines with stepwise change in beam parameters

Diaphragms or slits (to limit the size of the ion beam) and degraders (to reduce the kinetic energy of ions) are often used in beam lines for ion transport. When an ion beam travels through these elements, parameters such as rms sizes, angle, and momentum spread change abruptly. This fact should be taken into account in calculating the subsequent sections of the beam line. Formulas are derived for determining new parameters of the ion beam immediately after its passage through those elements. The results of calculations are given regarding the transport of different kinds of heavy ions in the beam lines of the U400M cyclotron of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions intended for testing electronic microchips.     

面向HIRFL-CSR主动式点扫描技术的剂量标定方法研究(英文)

基于HIRFL-CSR肿瘤重离子治疗终端主动式束流配送系统发展了面向三维点扫描适形调强治疗技术的在线监测器点扫描剂量标定方法。为了验证点扫描剂量标定方法的稳定性和可靠性,利用HIRFL-CSR提供的C离子束考察了在线监测器剂量标定因子的能量依赖以及不同扫描步长的影响。结果表明:在线监测器剂量标定因子存在能量依赖;不同扫描步长对剂量标定因子影响较小（偏差小于1.8%）。证明了点扫描剂量标定方法的稳定性和可靠性。鉴于在三维点扫描适形调强治疗技术中影响在线监测器点扫描剂量标定因子的因素较多,建议今后续继续研究点扫描剂量标定因子影响因素,修正和完善点扫描剂量标定方法。As an important step of the application of spot scanning technique to heavy ion therapy, an experimental calibration procedure of online beam monitors based on standard of absorbed dose to water has recently been developed for scanned pencil like carbon ion beam in the deep seated tumor therapy terminal at the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL). In this work, creating homogeneous irradiation field with steerable spot beam was tested using a 207 MeV/u penci like carbon ion beam. Then the verification of energy dependence of the calibration factors (CFs) and the influence of scanning step on the CF were also shown, as a part of the heavy ion clinic dosimetry researches. The results showd that the monitor CF presented energy dependence and performed stable response with deviation of 1.8% for the variation of scan steps. In this paper, the suitability and effectiveness of beam monitor calibration procedure for dynamic particle beam delivery were verified and the further research points to improve the calibration procedure were suggested.     

An IC100 cyclotron based facility for producing nuclear filters and for scientific and applied research

The cyclotron IC-100 station, based on the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR, Dubna, Russia), provides the industrial construction of nuclear filters. During modernization, the cyclotron was equipped with a superconducting ECR-ion source and an axial injection system. The specialized beam channel with a two coordinate scanning system and equipment for irradiating polymer films was installed in the implantation part of the station. High intensity heavy ion beams of Ne, Ar, Fe, Kr, Xe, I, and W have been accelerated to 1 MeV/nucleon energy. The investigation into irradiated crystals features and irradiation of different polymer films is provided. Also, a few thousands square meters of track films with holes in the wide range of densities were produced. The cyclotron-based station is capable of solving different kinds of scientific and applied problems as well. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Heavy Ion Beam Probe Plasma Diagnostic System for the Deep Magnetic Well Lite Device

A heavy ion beam probe plasma diagnostic system has been developed for the Laser Initiated Target Experiment (LITE) at UTRC. This is the first application of ion beam probing to a plasma confined by a strongly three dimensional magnetic field. The deep magnetic well, minimum-B field produced by the "baseball" magnet coil results in complex trajectories and severe defocusing of both the injected primary beam and detected secondary beam. Spatial resolution can be maintained by aperturing the entrance slit to the detector or installing compensating ion optics. The system is capable of space and time resolved measurements of plasma density and space potential near the central region of the mirror-confined plasma.     

栅扫描重离子束治癌束流配送系统对运动靶区的适形放疗(Ⅱ)可行性实验

在栅扫描束流配送系统下, 进行了重离子束对运动靶体进行适形照射的可行性实验研究. 利用实时修正束流扫描参数的方法, 使得束流追踪靶体在横向上的运动; 在纵向上利用一个机械驱动的束流降能装置(称深度扫描器)迅速调节束流 能量, 使得重离子束高剂量的Bragg峰区落在运动靶体需治疗的断层之上. 实验结果表明: 栅扫描器主动补偿靶体横向运动及深度扫描器补偿靶体纵向运动是可行的.     

Numerical simulation of ions acceleration and extraction in cyclotron DC-110

In Flerov’s Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions of JINR in the framework of project “Beta” a cyclotron complex for a wide range of applied research in nanotechnology (track membranes, surface modification, etc.) is created. The complex includes a dedicated heavy-ion cyclotron DC-110, which yields intense beams of accelerated ions Ar, Kr and Xe with a fixed energy of 2.5 MeV/A. The cyclotron is equipped with external injection on the base of ECR ion source, a spiral inflector and the system of ions extraction consisting of an electrostatic deflector and a passive magnetic channel. The results of calculations of the beam dynamics in measured magnetic field from the exit of spiral inflector to correcting magnet located outside the accelerator vacuum chamber are presented. It is shown that the design parameters of ion beams at the entrance of correcting magnet will be obtained using false channel, which is a copy of the passive channel, located on the opposite side of the magnetic system. Extraction efficiency of ions will reach 75%.     

Development,creation, and startup of the DC-110 heavy ion cyclotron complex for industrial production of track membranes

The DC-110 heavy ion cyclotron for industrial production of track membranes has been developed and created at the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. The cyclotron is equipped with an electron cyclotron resonance ion source operating at a frequency of 18 GHz. The accelerator complex was put into operation in 2012 and ⁴⁰Ar⁶⁺, ⁸⁶Kr¹³⁺, and ¹³²Xe²⁰⁺ ion beams with a energy of 2.5 MeV/nucleon and intensity of 13, 14.5, and 10.5 μA, respectively, were produced. Irradiation of a polymer film was carried out on a specialized channel and track membranes with a high uniformity of pores were obtained. The DC-110 accelerator complex can produce up to 2 million square meters of track membranes per year.     

Laser Accelerated, High Quality Ion Beams

Intense beams of protons and heavy ions have been observed in ultra-intense laser-solid interaction experiments. Thereby, a considerable fraction of the laser energy is transferred to collimated beams of energetic ions (e.g. up to 50 MeV protons; 100 MeV fluorine), which makes these beams highly interesting for various applications. Experimental results indicate very short pulse duration and an excellent beam quality, leading to beam intensities in the TW range. To characterize the beam quality and its dependence on laser parameters and target conditions, we performed experiments at several high-power laser systems. We found a strong dependence on the target rear surface conditions allowing to tailor the ion beam by an appropriate target design. We also succeeded in the generation of heavy ion beams by suppressing the proton amount at the target surface. We will present recent experimental results demonstrating a transverse beam emittance far superior to accelerator-based ion beams. Finally, we will discuss the prospect of laser-accelerated ion beams as new diagnostics in laser-solid interaction experiements. Special fields of interest are proton radiography, electric field imaging, and relativistic electron transport inside the target.     

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 transportation lines for the NICA project

A heavy-ion collider, i.e., the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility (NICA), is being developed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia. The aim of this project is to construct a new accelerator complex for conducting experiments with colliding ion beam (at the first stage of the project) and with polarized proton and deuteron beams (at the second stage). The NICA accelerator complex will consist of two linear accelerators, two synchrotrons, two collider rings, and beam transportation lines. The magnetic lattice and diagnostic and correction systems for the NICA beam transportation lines are described in this report.