First ion source at ISOL@MYRRHA with an improved thermal profile - Theoretical considerations

Abstract

ISOL@MYRRHA will be a new Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) facility in Belgium based on the Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) technique, and established within the framework of MYRRHA, the world’s first large-scale accelerator driven system project at power levels scalable to industrial systems. The surface ion source, or hot cavity, is chosen as initial source for its reliability and simple design. To account for the higher flux of atoms through this cavity, a theoretical study of the processes within the ion source is discussed here, based on theoretical equations and thermal-electric simulations. In the past, the temperature was clearly identified as a key element to this source, but with the assumption that it remains constant throughout the cavity. Nonetheless, more recent thermal-electric simulations have revealed that the source Ohmic heating leads to temperature gradients along the cavity tube. The temperature profile impact on ionisation in the hot cavity will be reviewed here.