Initial experience with carbon stripping foils at ISIS
Jones B., Adams DJ., Smith HV.
Copyright © 2016 CC-BY-3.0 and by the respective authors. The ISIS Facility at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is a spallation neutron and muon source based upon a 50 Hz rapid cycling synchrotron accelerating ∼3×1013 protons per pulse from 70 to 800 MeV to deliver a mean beam power of 0.2 MW to two target stations. Throughout its 30 years of operation ISIS has developed aluminium oxide foils in-house for H-charge exchange injection. The manufacturing and installation processes for these foils are time consuming, radiologically dose intensive and require a high degree of skill. Commercially available carbon based foils commonly used at other facilities have the potential to greatly simplify foil preparation and installation in addition to improving beam quality. Similar foils would also be necessary for facility upgrades which increase injection energy to withstand the higher operating temperatures. This paper describes the initial experience of carbon foils in the ISIS synchrotron including issues relating to handling and mounting foils, their performance under beam operation and plans for further development.