Beam Dynamics Feasibility Study for an RFQ Sub-harmonic Pre-buncher at REX-ISOLDE

The feasibility of using an external multi-harmonic buncher placed before the existing RFQ at REX-ISOLDE to increase the bunch spacing of post-accelerated beams at HIE-ISOLDE was confirmed. It was found that with a pre-buncher operating at a subharmonic frequency of 10.128 MHz (a factor 10 below the fundamental frequency of the RFQ) transmissions as high as 80% could be achieved in the main bunches separated by 98.7 ns. Such a time-structure will allow particle identification employing time-offlight techniques to be carried out by the users at HIE-ISOLDE. The optimal effective voltage for a drift length of 1.4 m between the pre-buncher and RFQ was found to be Veff = 0:8 kV, without any deterioration in the simulated nominal rms longitudinal emittance of rms = 0:28 ns keV/u. Significant reduction in the rms longitudinal emittance formed inside the RFQ was observed as the drift distance between the pre-buncher and RFQ was increased and the energy spread imparted by the pre-buncher decreased; within the physical constraints of the beam line a reduction factor of 2 was observed for a drift length of 4:0 m, demanding Veff = 0:3 kV. A chopper will be needed to remove the 15% of beam populating the 101.28 MHz satellite bunches