MEDICIS Power converters commissioning

The CERN-MEDICIS facility is an extension of the existing class A building 179. Within this extension are located the targets which produce radioisotopes. The targets are irradiated in the HRS dump position with the beam coming from the PSB. Once the irradiation process is finalized, the targets are brought back in CERN-MEDICIS by robots. Radioactive ion beams will be selected in a dedicated isotope mass separator in CERN-MEDICIS and then, isotope samples are collected for external studies with all medical partners.

8 power converters and 1 isolation transformer are installed on a High Voltage platform (see Figure 1), they are used for radioactive ion beam production. Then a 60kV DC power converter is used to extract the beam from the source to the collection chambers. Power converters on HV platform are connected to the MEDICIS front-end (see Figure 2) via an isolated cable pipe, this front-end and the mass separator magnet are located in a bunker.

For beam transport to the collection chambers, 40 HV power converters (from 6kV to 30kV)   are installed outside of the HV platform, with all control and EIS access crates. For mass separator magnet, a Combo power converter (100A – 60V) is dedicated (see Figure 3)

First tests have been performed with the COMBO converter, A current in the separator magnet has been injected. The target has been heated at 2000⁰C with a current of 1000A from YMD1.TARGET converter. On Figure 4, you can see the light through the ceramic insulator coming from the hot target on the left. More details on FPC website (MEDICIS project)

On Wednesday 15/11/2017 the first stable beam (non-radioactive) has been made.

Reporting from J.PARRA-LOPEZ

TE/EPC-FPC