Traveling wave ion transport for the cyclotron gas stopper

Next generation beam thermalization devices such as the cyclotron gas stopper are being developed to efficiently deliver a broad range of radioactive isotopes to experiments. Ion transport methods utilizing a traveling wave were investigated experimentally as part of the developments needed for this device. The “ion surfing” method, which will be used to transports thermal ions inside the main chamber of the cyclotron gas stopper, was found to transport ions at speeds reaching 75 m/s, resulting in net transport times as short as 5 ms. A second traveling wave transport method called the “ion conveyor” was investigated for the challenging task of extracting the ions through the cyclotron gas stopper magnetic field gradient. Results from the first prototype conveyor show a strong pressure and wave amplitude dependance for the transport efficiency. A second prototype designed to operate over a larger pressure range is currently being tested.