A feasibility study of space-charge neutralized ion induction linacs: Final report
Abstract
Applications for high current (> 1 kA) ion beams are increasing. They include hardening of material surfaces, transmutation of radioactive waste, cancer treatment, and possibly driving fusion reactions to create energy. The space-charge of ions limits the current that can be accelerated in a conventional ion linear accelerator (linac). Furthermore, the accelerating electric field must be kept low enough to avoid the generation and acceleration of counter-streaming electrons. These limitations have resulted in ion accelerator designs that employ long beam lines and would be expensive to build. Space-charge neutralization and magnetic insulation of the acceleration gaps could substantially reduce these two limitations, but at the expense of increasing the complexity of the beam physics. We present theory and experiments to determine the degree of charge-neutralization that can be achieved in various environments found in ion accelerators. Our results suggest that, for high current applications, space-charge neutralization could be used to improve on the conventional ion accelerator technology. There are two basic magnetic field geometries that can be used to insulate the accelerating gaps, a radial field or a cusp field. We will present studies related to both of these geometries. We shall also present numerical simulations of {open_quotes}multicusp{close_quotes} accelerator thatmore »
- Authors:
-
- and others
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 456328
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-97-0344
ON: DE97004163; TRN: 97:012001
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Mar 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION; 43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; LINEAR ACCELERATORS; BEAM NEUTRALIZATION; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; SPACE CHARGE; ION BEAMS; INERTIAL CONFINEMENT; MAGNETIC FIELDS
Citation Formats
Slutz, S A, Primm, P, Renk, T, and Johnson, D J. A feasibility study of space-charge neutralized ion induction linacs: Final report. United States: N. p., 1997.
Web. doi:10.2172/456328.
Slutz, S A, Primm, P, Renk, T, & Johnson, D J. A feasibility study of space-charge neutralized ion induction linacs: Final report. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/456328
Slutz, S A, Primm, P, Renk, T, and Johnson, D J. Sat .
"A feasibility study of space-charge neutralized ion induction linacs: Final report". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/456328. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/456328.
@article{osti_456328,
title = {A feasibility study of space-charge neutralized ion induction linacs: Final report},
author = {Slutz, S A and Primm, P and Renk, T and Johnson, D J},
abstractNote = {Applications for high current (> 1 kA) ion beams are increasing. They include hardening of material surfaces, transmutation of radioactive waste, cancer treatment, and possibly driving fusion reactions to create energy. The space-charge of ions limits the current that can be accelerated in a conventional ion linear accelerator (linac). Furthermore, the accelerating electric field must be kept low enough to avoid the generation and acceleration of counter-streaming electrons. These limitations have resulted in ion accelerator designs that employ long beam lines and would be expensive to build. Space-charge neutralization and magnetic insulation of the acceleration gaps could substantially reduce these two limitations, but at the expense of increasing the complexity of the beam physics. We present theory and experiments to determine the degree of charge-neutralization that can be achieved in various environments found in ion accelerators. Our results suggest that, for high current applications, space-charge neutralization could be used to improve on the conventional ion accelerator technology. There are two basic magnetic field geometries that can be used to insulate the accelerating gaps, a radial field or a cusp field. We will present studies related to both of these geometries. We shall also present numerical simulations of {open_quotes}multicusp{close_quotes} accelerator that would deliver potassium ions at 400 MeV with a total beam power of approximately 40 TW. Such an accelerator could be used to drive fusion.},
doi = {10.2172/456328},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/456328},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1997},
month = {3}
}