The driver linac of the proposed Rare Isotope Accelerator(RIA) requires a great variety of high intensity, high charge state ion beams. In order to design and to optimize the low energy beam line optics of the RIA front end,we have developed a new parallel three-dimensional model to simulate the low energy, multi-species ion beam formation and transport from the ECR ion source extraction region to the focal plane of the analyzing magnet. A multisection overlapped computational domain has been used to break the original transport system into a number of each subsystem, macro-particle tracking is used to obtain the charge density distribution in this subdomain.The three-dimensional Poisson equation is solved within the subdomain and particle tracking is repeated until the solution converges. Two new Poisson solvers basedon a combination of the spectral method and the multigrid method have been developed to solve the Poisson equation in cylindrical coordinates for the beam extraction regionand in the Frenet-Serret coordinates for the bending magnet region. Some test examples and initial applications will also be presented.

In this paper, we present a three-dimensional model for self-consistently modeling ion beam formation from plasma ion sources and transporting in low energy beam transport systems. A multi-section overlapped computational domain has been used to break the original transport system into a number of weakly coupled subsystems. Within each subsystem, macro-particle tracking is used to obtain the charge density distribution in this subdomain. The three-dimensional Poisson equation is solved within the subdomain after each particle tracking to obtain the self-consistent space-charge forces and the particle tracking is repeated until the solution converges. Two new Poisson solvers based on a combination of the spectral method and the finite difference multigrid method have been developed to solve the Poisson equation in cylindrical coordinates for the straight beam transport section and in Frenet-Serret coordinates for the bending magnet section. This model can have important application in design and optimization of the low energy beam line optics of the proposed Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) front end.

During the last year, the VENUS ECR ion source was commissioned at 18 GHz and preparations for 28 GHz operation, which is set to begin early in 2004, are now underway. The goal of the VENUS ECR ion source project as the RIA R&D injector is the production of 240 emA of U30+, a high current medium charge state beam. On the other hand, as an injector ion source for the 88-Inch Cyclotron the design objective is the production of 5emA of U48+, a low current, very high charge state beam. During the commissioning phase with 18 GHz, tests with various gases and recently metals have been performed with up to 2000 W RF power and the performance is very promising. For example, 1100 e mu A of O6+, 180 e mu A of Ar12+, 150 emA of Xe20+ and 100 emA of Bi24+ were produced in the early commissioning phase, ranking VENUS among the currently highest performance 18 GHz ECR ion sources. The emittance of the beams produced at 18 GHz was measured with a two axis emittance scanner. In FY04 a 10 kW, 28 GHz gyrotron system will be added, which will enable VENUS to reach full performance. The performance of the VENUS ion source, low energy beam transport (LEBT) and its closed loop cryogenic system are described in the paper. Recently, a new high temperature axial oven has been installed in the source and the first results on metal beams such as bismuth are given. The design of the 28 GHz, 10 kW gyrotron system is also be described. During the last year, the VENUS ECR ion source was commissioned at 18 GHz and preparations for 28 GHz operation, which is set to begin early in 2004, are now underway. The goal of the VENUS ECR +, a high current medium charge state beam. On the other hand, as an injector ion source for the 88-Inch Cyclotron the design objective is the production of 5 emA of U48+, a low current, very high charge state beam. During the commissioning phase with 18 GHz, tests with various gases and recently metals have been performed with up to 2000 W RF power and the performance is very promising. For example, 1100 e mu A of O6+, 180 e mu A of Ar12+, 150 emA of Xe20+ and 100 emA of Bi24+ were produced in the early commissioning phase, ranking VENUS among the currently highest performance 18 GHz ECR ion sources. The emittance of the beams produced at 18 GHz was measured with a two axis emittance scanner. In FY04 a 10 kW, 28 GHz gyrotron system will be added, which will enable VENUS to reach full performance. The performance of the VENUS ion source, low energy beam transport (LEBT) and its closed loop cryogenic system are described in the paper. Recently, a new high temperature axial oven has been installed in the source and the first results on metal beams such as bismuth are given. The design of the 28 GHz, 10 kW gyrotron system is also be described.