Controlling FAMA by the Ptolemy II model of ion beam transport

FAMA is a facility for modification and analysis of materials with ion beams. Due to the wide range of ion beams and energies used in the facility and its future expansion, the need has arisen for faster tuning of ion beams transport control parameters. With this aim, a new approach to modeling ion-beam transport system was developed, based on the Ptolemy II modeling and design framework. A model in Ptolemy II is a hierarchical aggregation of components called actors, which communicate with other actors using tokens, or pieces of data. Each ion optical element is modeled by a composite actor implementing beam matrix transformation function, while tokens carry beam matrix data. A basic library of models of typical ion optical elements is developed, and a complex model of FAMA ion beam transport system is hierarchically integrated with bottom-up approach. The model is extended to include control functions. The developed model is modular, flexible and extensible. The results obtained by simulation on the model demonstrate easy and efficient tuning of beam line control parameters. Fine tuning of control parameters, due to uncertainties inherent to modeling, still has to be performed on-line. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.