New options for material testing at the material ion beam test facility MARION

Highlights: ► Implementation of a new operation mode at the material ion beam test facility MARION. ► Reduction of operation costs for high heat flux tests. ► Increase of reliability by abandonment of cryogenic pumping systems. ► Presentation of new operation range restrictions for MARION. -- Abstract: Within the development of new fusion devices like ITER and DEMO, material testing becomes more and more relevant. The material ion beam test facility MARION which was primarily designed for beam source development and commissioning is also used for high heat flux testing up to 120 MW/m2 power density. In order to improve this second field of activity the concept of MARION is adapted to material testing. To increase the flexibility and to decrease the costs for material testing operation the vacuum system has been changed by excluding the cryogenic pumps combined with an enhancement of the conventional vacuum pumping part. The reduction in pumping capacity has made a new optimization of the operation parameters necessary. The experimental results of this optimization can be used as calibration base for future heat load tests. They are shown in this paper, combined with the changes in operation range for this new, additional mode