Apparatus and method for identifying and quantifying mixed ion beam components

The invention introduces an innovative system for accurately identifying and quantifying the components of mixed ion beams, namely beams composed of ionic species with nearly identical mass/charge ratios and therefore not separable with conventional techniques. This solution fills a technical gap present in numerous scientific, medical and industrial applications, enabling accurate control of beam composition and improving the reliability of processes that use them.

How does it work?

The invention consists of a charge exchange cell filled with low-pressure gas, installed along the low-energy transport line after the analysis magnet. The ion beam passes through the cell, weakly interacting with the gas, generating characteristic light emissions through charge exchange reactions. A compound optical system conveys the light to a spectrometer, allowing different ionic species to be distinguished thanks to the Doppler shift of the emitted lines. In the case of heavy ions, an X-ray detector can also be used. The pressure is controlled through a pumping system and gas injection valve, making the technique non-invasive.

A reconstruction algorithm processes the acquired spectra and provides real-time intensity of individual beam components, enabling non-invasive diagnosis even for species with nearly identical m/q

Applications

• Medical technologies and radiotherapy: beam diagnostics used for beam control in clinical applications (e.g., proton therapy, hadron therapy);
• Advanced scientific and technical instrumentation for particle accelerators: production and development of equipment for measurement, analysis and monitoring of particle beams in scientific or industrial settings;
• Research and development: the device can also be placed in the R&D sector for advanced technologies;
• Industrial control and automation for ion beams: applications in industrial plants for ion beam analysis (IBA), ion implantation, radiation hardness studies and synergic damage.

Advantages

• Identify and quantify the components of a mixed beam in the low-energy transport line in a non-interceptive, non-invasive and real-time manner;
• Simple, compact and less expensive solution;
• Continuous and real-time monitoring and characterization of the mixed beam components produced by the source;
• Remarkably modest pressure difference between charge exchange cell and transport line;
• Excellent operational reliability;
• Good response even in the presence of high-intensity mixed beams.