Modern High Intensity H- Accelerator Sources

Abstract: A review of modern high intensity H- ion sources for accelerators is presented. The cesiation effect, a significant enhancement of negative ion emission from gas discharges with decrease of co-extracted electron current below negative ion current, was observed for the first time by inserting into the discharge chamber a compound with one milligram of cesium on July 1, 1971 in the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP), Novosibirsk, Russia. This observation became the basis for the development of surface plasma negative ion sources (SPS). The efficiency of negative ion generation was increased by the invention of geometrical focusing. The magnetron-planotron with geometrical focusing SPS is discussed. The converter SPS is reviewed. Semiplanotron SPS is discussed. Penning discharge SPS, RF pulsed and CW SPS are reviewed. The history of negative ion source development is reviewed. Large development projects, including the SPS for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) are being conducted. The development and fabrication of injectors with cesiated SPS has become a billion dollars scale industry.