Ion source issues for the DAEδALUS neutrino experiment

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Physics
• Particle Accelerators
• Ion Source Technology

Background:

• The DAEδALUS experiment requires a 10 mA proton beam at 800 MeV for neutrino production.
• Achieving such high currents necessitates accelerating hydrogen molecule ions (H2+) in a cyclotron system.
• Conventional ion sources produce vibrationally excited H2+ ions, which are susceptible to Lorentz stripping at high energies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenge of unwanted excited H2+ ions in high-current cyclotron systems.
• To investigate strategies for mitigating the effects of these excited states.
• To propose research and development for a suitable ion source for high-power cyclotrons like DAEδALUS.

Main Methods:

• Confirmation of the presence of loosely bound, vibrationally excited H2+ ions.
• Investigation of methods to 'quench' or reduce these excited states.
• Exploration of R&D pathways for advanced ion source development.

Main Results:

• The presence of problematic vibrationally excited H2+ ions was experimentally confirmed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
• Strategies for mitigating these excited states were explored.
• A clear need for a specialized ion source for high-power cyclotrons was identified.

Conclusions:

• Excited H2+ ions pose a significant challenge for high-current cyclotron operations, such as for the DAEδALUS experiment.
• Further research and development are crucial for creating ion sources that minimize or eliminate these unwanted states.
• The proposed R&D effort aims to enable the successful acceleration of H2+ ions for future high-power accelerator applications.