Work

Fast switching of various ions from 11 to 23 MeV/u for space applications at GANIL

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In recent years, the demand for radiation hardness testing of electronic components for space applications has grown significantly across Europe. In response, the Grand Accélérateur National d’Ions Lourds (GANIL) is developing a dedicated test beamline downstream of the Cyclotron for Ions of Medium Energy (CIME), optimized for delivering fast-switchable heavy-ion cocktail beams suitable for irradiation in both air and vacuum environments. These beams include ions ranging from carbon to xenon, covering energies from 11 to 23 MeV/u. They span Linear Energy Transfers (LET) at the surface up to 50 MeV mg −1 cm 2 , with ranges in silicon up to 530 μ m. The intensities of the various beams produced from the Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion source can be adjusted from 1 0 2 to 1 0 5 particles ⋅ s −1 ⋅ cm −2 , ensuring uniform irradiation over a 6 cm 2 area. Thanks to mass-to-charge (m/q) selection of the cyclotron and fast magnetic tuning, about ten ion species can be delivered successively in a single session, with switching times under 10 min. These capabilities enhance European heavy-ion Single Event Effect (SEE) testing capacity and complement other cyclotron-based infrastructures.

Source: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment

DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2025.171148