Microchannel plate response to high-intensity ion bunches

In this paper, we discuss the response of microchannel plate detectors (MCPs) to high-intensity bunches of ions with typical lengths of a few hundred microseconds. A dedicated experimental setup was developed to measure this behavior. The MCP operating voltage and the ion beam intensity appear to be important factors in the saturation behavior of the detector. The results of the measurements are extended to the more realistic situation of TOF spectrum measurements for beam diagnostics purposes by using two consecutive pulses impinging on the detector in a time interval much shorter than the recovery time of the detector. A new method for measuring the recovery time of the MCP detector is proposed and results are compared to simple estimates from an RC model approach. Finally the results of the measurements are compared to Monte-Carlo simulations which use a reservoir model to simulate the MCPs behavior.