A Low-Cost Ion-Beam Profile Monitor

An intercepting multiwire ion beam profile monitor, of thickness 0.9 cm and active area 5 × 5 cm, has been developed for use with the low-intensity deuteron beamline at the Fast Neutron Research Facility (FNRF), Chiang Mai University. It has been used to optimise the transport of a continuous ion beam of current up to 200 μA and kinetic energy up to 140 keV. The monitor enables the determination of the two-dimensional beam profile using closely-spaced samples at 1.5 mm, and the measurement of relative beam current. The design incorporates low material and labour costs, elimination of the need for commercial vacuum feedthroughs, a minimal amount of devoted electronics with no need for preamplifiers, and permits quick insertion of the monitors, wherever needed along the beamline, with minimum disruption to neighbouring elements.