Radioactive ion beam development for the SPIRAL 2 project.

10h45 - GANIL Guest House

This thesis focuses on the study of radioactive ion beam production by the ISOL method for the SPIRAL 2 project.

The production of light ion beams is studied and the potential in-target yields of two beams are appraised. The neutron-rich ¹⁵C yield in an oxide target is estimated with simulations (MCNPx, EAF-07) and experimental data bases; the neutron-deficient ¹⁴O yield is estimated thanks to a new measurement of the ¹²C(³He,n)¹⁴O reaction excitation function.

Based on thermal simulations, a first design of the production target is presented. This thermal study gives the necessary answers for the detailed design of the system able to reach a production yield 140 times higher than with SPIRAL 1.

The production of radioactive ion beams coming from fissions in the UCx target is also studied and more particularly effusion and ionisation processes.

A global study and an off-line tests campaign allow essential knowledge to the design of the surface ionisation source for SPIRAL 2 to be acquired. A first prototype of this ion source dedicated to alkali and alkaline-earth element production has been built and a thermal calibration performed.

Ionisation efficiency and time response of the target-ion source system have been measured at different target temperatures and for different noble gases.

These measurements allow evaluation of the impact of effusion and ionisation processes on the production efficiency of different alkali and noble gases isotopes as a function of their half-life.