A nanosecond pulsing system for MeV light ions using a 2 MV TandetronTM

A nanosecond pulsing system for H, D and He ions has been developed to satisfy the demands of a new neutron reference field (2 keV-20 MeV) for neutron metrology and dosimetry at the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) [Gressier et al., Proceedings of the Symposium on Radiation Measurements and Applications 2002, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 505 (2003) 370]. The system is capable of delivering ion energies of 0.2-4 MeV at target with currents of 50 and 8 μA in DC and pulsed mode, respectively. The injector consists of a multi-cusp, direct negative extraction ion source operating at a relative low extraction voltage of 25 kV, which keeps system dimensions small and minimises the energy modulation of the buncher as well as the resulting beam energy spread on target. The chopper can operate at repetition frequencies between 62.5 and 2000 kHz and features additional electrostatic deflectors that cancel the energy spread that is inherently imposed on the beam by chopping. This unique and patented feature eliminates one of the main contributions that fundamentally limits the achievable pulse width on target. At the high-energy side of the accelerator an isochronous set of magnets preserve the time correlation of the ions in the bunch. The first magnet (90 deg. ) is equipped with NMR stabilisation and slit feedback to give an absolute reference of the particle energy, which is essential for the present application