Abstract. A gas-filled segmented linear Paul trap has been installed at the focal plane of the high-resolution separator (HRS) at CERN-ISOLDE. As well as providing beams with a reduced transverse emittance, this device is also able to accumulate the ions and release the sample in bunches with a well-defined time structure. This has recently permitted collinear laser spectroscopy with stable and radioactive bunched beams to be demonstrated at ISOLDE. Surface-ionized 39,44,46 K and 85 Rb beams were accelerated to 30 keV, mass separated and injected into the trap for subsequent extraction and delivery to the laser setup. The ions were neutralized in a charge exchange cell and excited with a co-propagating laser. The small ion beam emittance allowed focussing in the ion-laser overlap region, which is essential to achieve the best experimental sensitivity. Fluorescent photons were detected by a photomultiplier tube as a frequency scan was taken. A gate (typically 7-12 μs wide) was set on the photomultiplier signal to accept the fluorescent photons within the time window defined by the bunch. Thus, using accumulation times of 100 ms, the dominant contribution to background due to continuous laser scattering could be reduced by a factor of up to 4 × 10 4 .

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The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF), presently in its Engineering Validation and Engineering Desi gn Activities (EVEDA) phase under the frame of the Broader Approach Agreement between Europe and Japan, accomplished in summer 2013, on schedule, its EDA phase with the release of the engineering design report of the IFMIF plant, which is here described. Many improvements of the design from former phases are implemented, particularly a reduction of beam losses and operational costs thanks to the superconducting accelerator concept, the re-location of the quench tank outside the 1 2 × test cell (TC) with a reduction of tritium inventory and a simplification on its replacement in case of failure, the separation of the irradiation modules from the shielding block gaining irradiation flexibility and enhancement of the remote handling equipment reliability and cost reduction, and the water cooling of the liner and biological shielding of the TC, enhancing the efficiency and economy of the related sub-systems. In addition, the maintenance strategy has been modified to allow a shorter yearly stop of the irradiation operations and a more careful management of the irradiated samples. The design of the IFMIF plant is intimately linked with the EVA phase carried out since the entry into force of IFMIF/EVEDA in June 2007. These last activities and their on-going accomplishment have been thoroughly described elsewhere (Knaster J et al [19]), which, combined with the present paper, allows a clear understanding of the maturity of the European-Japanese international efforts. This released IFMIF Intermediate Engineering Design Report (IIEDR), which could be complemented if required concurrently with the outcome of the on-going EVA, will allow decision making on its construction and/or serve as the basis for the definition of the next step, aligned with the evolving needs of our fusion community.