DISCO, a novel low-energy beamline covering the spectrum range from the VUV to the visible, has received its first photons at the French synchrotron SOLEIL. In this article the DISCO design and concept of three experimental stations serving research communities in biology and chemistry are described. Emphasis has been put on high flux generation and preservation of polarization at variable energy resolutions. The three experiments include a completely new approach for microscopy and atmospheric pressure experiments as well as a ;classical' synchrotron radiation circular dichroism station. Preliminary tests of the optical design and technical concept have been made. Theoretical predictions of the beam have been compared with the first images produced by the first photons originating from the large-aperture bending-magnet source. Results are also reported concerning the cold finger used to absorb hard X-ray radiation in the central part of the synchrotron beam and to avoid heavy thermal load on the following optics. Wavelength selection using monochromators with different gratings for each experimental set-up as well as beam propagation and conditioning throughout the optical system are detailed. First photons comply very well with the theoretical calculations.

Carbon contamination is a general problem of under-vacuum optics submitted to high fluence. In soft X-ray beamlines carbon deposit on optics is known to absorb and scatter radiation close to the C K-edge (280 eV), forbidding effective measurements in this spectral region. Here the observation of strong reflectivity losses is reported related to carbon deposition at much higher energies around 1000 eV, where carbon absorptivity is small. It is shown that the observed effect can be modelled as a destructive interference from a homogeneous carbon thin film.

In order to deliver VUV (vacuum ultraviolet) photons under atmospheric pressure conditions, a differential pumping system has been built on the DISCO beamline at the SOLEIL synchrotron radiation facility. The system is made of four stages and is 840 mm long. The conductance-limiting body has been designed to allow practicable optical alignment. VUV transmission of the system was tested under air, nitrogen, argon and neon, and photons could be delivered down to 60 nm (20 eV).

Efficiency and transient time studies of an electron cyclotron resonance ion source for radioactive ion beam production at ISAC/TRIUMF Rev. Sci. Instrum. 71, 946 (2000)Design of an electron cyclotron resonance ion source for the isotope separator and accelerator at TRIUMF Rev. Sci. Instrum. 71, 643 (2000)The high intensity light ion source ͑SILHI͒ is the electron cyclotron resonance ͑ECR͒ source constructed and tested at CEA-Saclay. The first aim is to produce up to 100 mA cw proton beams at 95 keV for the proton injection high intensity ͑IPHI͒ beams ͓5 MeV radio frequency quadrupole ͑RFQ͒ and 10 MeV drift tube linac ͑DTL͔͒. This prototype is developed by a CEA-CNRS-IN2P3 collaboration for applications such as accelerator driven systems for nuclear waste transmutation, production of radioactive ion beams or secondary particles. SILHI is also used to study the production of deuteron and H Ϫ beams for the International Fusion Material Irradiation Facility and European spallation source projects, respectively. The present status of SILHI and the experiments planned for the near future in both cw and pulsed modes are presented in this article. 80 mA cw proton beams are now currently produced at 95 keV with a high availability ͑ϳ1 spark/day͒. The proton fraction is around 90% and the typical r -rЈ rms normalized emittance after transport through a single solenoid low energy beam transport ͑LEBT͒ without beam losses is 0.3 mm mrad. The best beam characteristics are obtained when an ECR zone is created at the frontier between the plasma chamber and the rf ridged transition. Extensive emittance measurements performed with different gas injection in the LEBT have shown a factor of three emittance reduction. Space charge compensation measurements in cw mode will be undertaken with a four-grid analyzer to understand this behavior. Time resolved space charge compensation measurements in pulsed mode are also discussed. The highest total beam current of 120 mA ͑240 mA/cm 2 ͒ can be extracted with two ECR zones located at the plasma chamber extremities. Nevertheless a new electrode design must be done for this configuration to avoid excessive beam losses in the extraction system.