Speaker
Description
Commissioned in 1969, the Leuven Isotope Separator (LIS) was extensively used for radioisotope implantation and Mössbauer spectroscopy in solid-state research [1]. After years of inactivity, efforts to bring the machine back to operational status began in 2020 [2].
Reviving a decades-old radioactive machine proved far from straightforward. Unexpected radioactive hotspots, undocumented modifications, and degraded components made the project resemble an archaeological excavation as much as a technical undertaking. In recent years, significant upgrades have been implemented, including adaptations to integrate target ion source units developed at ISOLDE-CERN, modernising the system and expanding its capabilities. The machine is foreseen to be used for ion source development and mass separation of stable and long-lived species for material enrichment [2,3].
Despite numerous challenges, LIS successfully delivered its first beam in over a decade during the summer of 2024. In this contribution, we present the current status of the separator and share the lessons learned during the revival process.
[1] A. Nylandsted Larsen et. al “Mössbauer studies on damage sites on isotope-separator-implanted impurity samples in silicon” Journal de Physique Colloques, 1976, 37 (C6), pp.C6-883-C6-887.
[2] W. Wojtaczka et al. “Reconditioning of the Leuven Isotope Separator as a test bench for radioactive ion beam development.” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 541 (2023): 399-401.
[3] M. Heines et al. "Muonic x-ray spectroscopy on implanted targets." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 541 (2023): 173-175.
| Email address | wiktoria.wojtaczka@kuleuven.be |
|---|---|
| Supervisor's Name | Thomas Elias Cocolios |
| Supervisor's email | thomas.cocolios@kuleuven.be |
| Funding Agency | FWO-Vlaanderen (BE) |
| Classification | Low-energy and in-flight separators |