Preliminary description of the ground test accelerator cryogenic cooling system

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6622717

Edeskuty, F J; Stewart, W F

The Ground Test Accelerator (GTA) under construction at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is part of the Neutral Particle Beam Program supported by the Strategic Defense Initiative Office. The GTA is a full-sized test facility to evaluate the feasibility of using a negative ion accelerator to produce a neutral particle beam (NPB). The NPB would ultimately be used outside the earth's atmosphere as a target discriminator or as a directed energy weapon. The operation of the GTA at cryogenic temperature is advantageous for two reasons: first, the decrease of temperature caused a corresponding decrease in the rf heating of the copper in the various units of the accelerator, and second, at the lower temperature the decrease in the thermal expansion coefficient also provides greater thermal stability and consequently, better operating stability for the accelerator. This paper discusses the cryogenic cooling system needed to achieve these advantages. 5 figs., 3 tabs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6622717
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-88-2498; CONF-890102-2; ON: TI88016222
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
430300* -- Particle Accelerators-- Auxiliaries & Components
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
990500 -- Civilian Defense-- (-1987)
ACCELERATORS
COOLING SYSTEMS
CRYOGENICS
DESIGN
DIRECTED-ENERGY WEAPONS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
WEAPONS