The ECU Accelerator Laboratory houses a 2 MV tandem Van de Graaff accelerator with sputter ion source which is usedforbasic and applied research. The research areas currently active are:
Studies of ionization and excitation process in ion-atom,ion molecule, and ion-surface interactions.
Effects of electronic structure of "dressed" ions on ionization and charge transfer processes important to the assessment of charged particle track structure and electron transport in tissue-like material.
Interaction cross sections studied through measurements of the energy and angular distribution of electrons ejected by the impact of fast ions and neutral particles with gas and solid targets.
Trace elements analysis using proton induced x-ray emission analysis (PIXE) as a research component for studies in such diverse fields as anthropology , archaeology, biology, geology, and medicine.
The laboratory uses a wide range of specialized equipment including various types of radiation detectors for charged particles, VUV, x-rays and gamma-rays; CAMAC and NIM modular electronics for detector signal processing; and computers and computer interfaces for data acquisition, analysis, and control.
In 2010, the Van de Graaff accelerator at ECU was retired to make way for a new 2-million-volt tandem Pelletron accelerator from National Electrostatics Corporation to be installed in November of 2011. A major renovation of the ECU Accelerator Laboratory is in progress to accommodate the new accelerator.
Tandem Pelletron Accelerator
Ultrahigh-Vacuum Chamber with Data Acquisition Electronics
