Development of an MeV proton generator using a ³He ion source at the Research Center for Nuclear Physics

For simple applications, such as the calibration of a charged particle detector, a multi-MeV proton generator may be preferable to cyclotrons or electrostatic accelerators such as Van de Graaff generator. Thus, a proton generating system, consisting of an 18 GHz superconducting (SC)-ECR ion source and a deuterated polyethylene target, was developed at the Research Center for Nuclear Physics at Osaka University. A ³He²⁺ beam of 400 eμA was generated by the SC-ECR ion source with the acceleration voltage of 20 kV in an experiment that utilized the fusion reaction ³He + deuteron (D) → proton(P) + ⁴He. Protons with energies of the order of several MeV were successfully generated at 3.67 Hz at the atmosphere side of the target in the experimental setup, using a novel target base with a thin aluminum window.