Modeling of tungsten filament in gas discharge in H ion source.

Sources of negative ions such as H are essential elements of proton accelerators and tokamaks. They have limited lifetime. The replacement of an ion source is a costly process causing delays in the operation of the entire machine.

Upgrading the LANSCE accelerator with a SNS RF-driven H ion source.

The LANSCE accelerator is currently powered by a filament-driven, biased converter-type H ion source that operates at 10%, the highest plasma duty factor for this type of source, using only ∼2.2 SCCM of H. The ion source needs to be replaced every 4 weeks, which takes up to 4 days.

Design and fabrication of a duoplasmatron extraction geometry and LEBT for the LANSCE H⁺ RFQ project.

The 750-keV H(+) Cockcroft-Walton at LANSCE will be replaced with a recently fabricated 4-rod Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) with injection energy of 35 keV. The existing duoplasmatron source extraction optics need to be modified to produce up to 35 mA of H(+) current with an emittance <0.02 π-cm-mrad (rms, norm) for injection into the RFQ.

Different approaches to modeling the LANSCE H⁻ ion source filament performance.

An overview of different approaches to modeling of hot tungsten filament performance in the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) H(-) surface converter ion source is presented. The most critical components in this negative ion source are two specially shaped wire filaments heated up to the working temperature range of 2600 K-2700 K during normal beam production. In order to prevent catastrophic filament failures (creation of hot spots, wire breaking, excessive filament deflection towards source body, etc.

Electron stripping processes of H⁻ ion beam in the 80 kV high voltage extraction column and low energy beam transport line at LANSCE.

Basic vacuum calculations were performed for various operating conditions of the Los Alamos National Neutron Science H(-) Cockcroft-Walton (CW) injector and the Ion Source Test Stand (ISTS). The vacuum pressure was estimated for both the CW and ISTS at five different points: (1) inside the H(-) ion source, (2) in front of the Pierce electrode, (3) at the extraction electrode, (4) at the column electrode, and (5) at the ground electrode. A static vacuum analysis of residual gases and the working hydrogen gas was completed for the normal ion source working regime.

Experimental optimization of beam quality extracted from a duoplasmatron proton ion source.

The LANSCE accelerator facility operates with two independent ion injectors for H(+) and H(-) particle beams. The H(+) ion beam is formed using a duoplasmatron source followed by a 750 keV Cockroft-Walton accelerating column. Formation of an optimal plasma meniscus is an important feature for minimizing beam emittance, and maximizing beam brightness.

X-ray Emission Measurements following Charge Exchange Between C and He.

X-ray spectra following charge exchange collisions between C and He are presented for collision energies between 460 eV/u and 32,000 eV/u. Spectra were obtained at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Multicharged Ion Research Facility using a microcalorimeter X-ray detector capable of fully resolving the C VI Lyman series lines through Ly-γ. These line ratios are sensitive to the initial electron -distribution and test our understanding of the charge exchange process.

High precision wavelength measurements of QED-sensitive forbidden transitions in highly charged argon ions.

We present the results of an experimental study of magnetic dipole (M1) transitions in highly charged argon ions (Ar X, Ar XI, Ar XIV, Ar XV) in the visible spectral range using an electron beam ion trap. Their wavelengths were determined with, for highly charged ions, unprecedented accuracy up to the sub-ppm level and compared with theoretical calculations. The QED contributions, calculated in this Letter, are found to be 4 orders of magnitude larger than the experimental error and are absolutely indispensable to bring theory and experiment to a good agreement.

Radiation-induced syntheses in cometary simulated models.

The behavior of an aqueous-dominant multicomponent cometary model is examined at high doses of ionizing radiation. The system is composed of a water mixture of HCN (0.2 mol dm-3), CH3CN (0.

Radiation chemistry of a multicomponent aqueous system relevant to chemistry of cometary nuclei.

We have examined a water-dominated multicomponent system after irradiation in the multimegarad dose range with gamma rays from a 60Co source at both 77 and 310 K. The constituents were simple organic compounds in the proportions in which they appear in a dense interstellar cloud: HCN/CH3OH/CH3CN/C2H5CN/HCOOH = 1:0.6:0.

Radiation chemical experiments relevant to studies of cometary nuclei: remarks on working conditions.

We survey some obstacles that a chemist encounters in defining conditions for radiation chemical experiments relevant to cometary nuclei. The choice of working conditions is examined in the light to present knowledge about comets and the facilities available for routine work in radiation chemistry.

Enzymatic characterization of peptidic materials isolated from aqueous solutions of ammonium cyanide (pH 9) and hydrocyanic acid (pH 6) exposed to ionizing radiation.

The enzymatic digestion of some radiolytically produced peptidic materials was examined. The substrates were compounds isolated from 0.1 molar solutions of NH4CN (pH 9) and HCN (pH 6), after their exposure to gamma rays from a 60Co source (15-20 Mrad doses).

The radiolysis of aqueous acetonitrile: compounds of interest to chemical evolution studies.

Oxygen-free aqueous solutions of CH3CN (0.1 M, pH 6) were exposed to gamma rays from a 60Co source, the mixture of nonvolatile radiolytic products was fractionated and the fractions were analysed. Succinic, maleic, fumaric, malonic and pyruvic acids were identified.

The radiolysis of aqueous ammonium cyanide: compounds of interest to chemical evolution studies.

Oxygen-free aqueous solutions of NH4CN (0.1 M, pH9) were exposed to gamma rays from a 60Co source, the mixture of nonvolatile products was fractionated, and the fractions were analyzed. The procedures were chosen to make effective investigations of radiolytic products, and to minimize the contributions of chemical changes which are known to occur in aqueous solution in the absence of ionizing radiation.

Evidence of amino acids in hydrolysates of compounds formed by ionizing radiations. II. Aqueous solutions of CH3CN and C2H5CN.

It has been shown that the action of ionizing radiations on dilute, oxygen-free, aqueous solutions of acetonitrile and propionitrile leads to the formation of oligomers, which upon hydrolyses release amino acids. The presence of nine amino acids, the same as those found in irradiated aqueous cyanides, has been established. those amino acids with asymmetric carbon atoms separated by GC method, appeared to consist of nearly equal amounts of D and L isomers.

Evidence for amino acids in hydrolysates of compounds formed by ionizing radiations. I. Aqueous solutions of HCN, NH4CN, and NaCN.

Dilute, 02-free aqueous cyanides were exposed to multikilorad doses of a radioactive cobalt source. After the removal of unreacted cyanides and of volatile radiolytic products, the residue was hydrolyzed and the resulting material analyzed for amino acids. The results show the presence of five protein amino acids and five amino acids which do not occur in natural proteins.

Infrared spectral characterization of peptidic material produced by ionizing radiation in aqueous cyanides.

Oligomers formed by ionizing radiation in aqueous cyanide solutions, under various experimental conditions, have been characterized by infrared spectroscopy. IR bands appear in the region known to be characteristic for amides and peptides. The results are discussed in relation to radiation-induced formation of peptidic material and the potential role of ionizing radiation as an energy source for some processes in prebiotic molecular evolution.

New possibilities for routine use of oxalic acid solutions in in-pile dosimetry.

New data are given on the use of oxalic acid, in light and heavy water solutions, for in-pile chemical dosimetry. The method of calculating the absorbed doses in low-Z materials is described. Results of chemical measurements in the core of the heavy-water-moderated reactor at Vinca (Yugoslavia) are compared with the results of calorimetric measurements conducted under identical conditions.