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DITANET Prize 2010:  Winner - Frank Becker

The Beam Induced Fluorescence (BIF)-Monitor

Frank Becker from GSI, Germany is the first recipient of the DITANET Prize.   He was awarded the 1,000 euro prize following the Mid-Term Review meeting in Brussels where representatives from all DITANET Partners and Trainees were in attendance.   Frank presented his award winning work to the group which is outlined in more detail below.

Frank’s research focused on beam induced fluorescence (BIF). In this diagnostic technique the optical emission of beam-excited residual or background gases is used as a diagnostic of beam intensity and transversal profile. During the last few years BIF has become an important non-intercepting diagnostic technique for beam profile measurement with applicability in beam alignment and tuning over a wide range of beam and accelerator conditions.  Within the frame of his PhD-thesis this method was successfully tested at the Berkeley test-injector (NDCX) for 7,5 keV/u and at GSI facilities for beam energies between 3,5 (UNILAC) and 750 MeV/u (SIS-18). The understanding of the relevant physical properties was significantly improved and the technical applicability was proven.

The BIF-principle works as a non-intercepting profile monitor and is therefore even suitable for intense heavy ion beams. Furthermore it has advantages such as its short insertion length, also there are no installations required inside the beam pipe.  At GSI/UNILAC facility altogether 7 BIF-stations with two intensified cameras each, are currently installed and commissioned. 14 additional stations are projected for FAIR high energy beam transport (HEBT) lines.  

Frank studied accelerator physics, nuclear physics, astronomy and numerical analysis at the Technical University Darmstadt and ENSPG Grenoble University in the framework of the Erasmus-Exchange-Programme from 1999-2006.   His doctoral studies were at the department of nuclear physics, Technical University Darmstadt with experiments at GSI-Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt.  His thesis entitled ‘Non-destructive Profile Measurement of intense Heavy Ion Beams’ was submitted in December 2009.



2006 - Publication in Laser and Particle Beams, LPB24_4-06072 - “Design, development, and testing of non-intercepting profile diagnostics for intense heavy ion beams using a capacitive pickup and beam induced gas fluorescence monitors“.  [F. Becker, A. Hug, P. Forck, M. Kulish, P. Ni, S. Udrea, D. Varentsov]

2007 - DIPAC-07, Venice, MOO3A02 -> Contributed Talk - “Beam Induced Fluorescence (BIF) Monitor for transverse profile determination of 5 to 750 MeV/u heavy ion beams”. [F. Becker, C. Andre, P. Forck, D.H.H. Hoffmann]

2008 -  BIW-08, Lake Tahoe, TUPTPF054 - Conference proceedings + poster presentation "Beam Induced Fluorescence (BIF) Monitor for Intense Heavy Ion Beams". [F. Becker, C. Andre, F.M. Bieniosek, P. Forck, H. Iwase, T. Lehmann, P.A. Ni, D.H.H. Hoffmann]

2009 - DIPAC 09, Basel, TUPB02 - Poster presentation + conference proceeding „Beam induced Fluorescence Monitor and Imaging Spectroscopy of different Working Gases”. [F. Becker , C. Andre, P. Forck, R. Haseitl, A. Hug, B. Walasek-Hoehne, F. Bieniosek, P.A. Ni, D.H.H. Hoffmann]