Development of an optical diagnostics system for ion sources

At iThemba LABS proton beams, extracted from an ion source, are pre-accelerated in an injector cyclotron and further accelerated in a K200 cyclotron and transported to various target stations used for radionuclide production. To gain a deeper understanding of the various processes occurring inside the plasma reservoir of the ion source and to support operational adjustments of the ion source, a novel optical emission diagnostics system is being developed in collaboration with the ISIS Facility of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The proposed work builds on pioneering development of optical diagnostics of ion source plasmas and high-current beam-induced light emission at ISIS. The optical signals generated in the plasma and extraction region are collected and transported via an optical fibre to a diagnostics unit with multiple detectors suited for varying intensities and required temporal resolutions. Wavelengths of various emission lines are selected using bandpass filters. From this unit the signals are sent to a data acquisition system for processing. This contribution will present a preliminary design of the optical diagnostics system and the status of prototyping activities.