High-current ion-beams diagnostics

Summary form only given. A variety of nuclear techniques have been developed to diagnose high-current, megaelectronvolt-level ion beams since the 1970s. Initially, delayed nuclear activations induced by proton, deuteron, or α-particle beams were used to determine beam intensities and ion energies. Such measurements are selective, unambiguous, and insensitive to bremsstrahlung or electromagnetic impulses. Other nuclear techniques rapidly followed. Prompt nuclear radiations were used to provide time-resolved measurements and to overcome the problem of target ablation associated with larger beam fluence. More recently, diagnostics based on neutron, gamma-ray, charged-particle, and X-ray radiations have been developed and employed. It is noted that nuclear techniques should continue to play an important role as the energy of intense ion beams is increased and the variety of ion species accelerated to energies amenable to nuclear reactions expands