The TransActinide Separator and Chemistry Apparatus (TASCA) at GSI – Optimization of ion-optical structures and magnet designs

The new, highly efficient gas-filled TransActinide Separator and Chemistry Apparatus (TASCA) was designed and built at GSI with the aim to study chemical and physical properties of superheavy elements with atomic numbers 104 and higher produced in heavy-ion reactions with actinide targets. To reach the highest possible transmission, while exploiting an existing dipole magnet and two quadrupoles of a previously used gas-filled separator, an optimization of the ion-optical structure of TASCA was performed with the program TRANSPORT. Two modes of TASCA operation, the “High Transmission Mode” and the “Small Image-size Mode” were selected. Magnetic field measurements were carried out with the dipole and were compared with KOMPOT model calculations. Magnetic field model calculations of the dipole and the quadrupoles, including a duct and a large exit valve, were performed to optimize the pole pieces of the dipole and the ducts. This increased the efficiency up to 50%. Both modes of operation were successfully tested in first commissioning experiments.