Heavy-Ion Source for the Texas A&M 88-Inch Cyclotron

An internal cold-cathode PIG source has been developed at the Texas A&M cyclotron to accelerate high-charge state beams. It produces a variety of beams ranging from lithium to xenon, e. g., Li3+, Be3+, B4+ C5+ N6+, O6+, F7+, Ne7+, S8+, C18+, Ar9+, Fe8+, Zn8+, Kr7+ and Xe8+, with intensities of practical use (for instance 5.2 eμA for 14N5+). This source can be operated in dc or pulsed mode. The pulsed mode operation yields output currents for higher charge state beams greater by an order of magnitude or more compared to dc mode, although limits exist. A new gas system, consisting of a piezoelectric valve, has been utilized effectively for operation of the cold-cathode heavy-ion source. A simple ionization chamber was installed in the beam line to enable easy detection of low intensity beams.