| Paper | Title | Page |
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| ROAB005 | Helical Pulseline Structures for Ion Acceleration | 440 |
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Funding: This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Contract DE-AC03-76SF00098. The basic concept of the "Pulseline Ion Accelerator" involves launching a ramped high voltage pulse on a broad band traveling wave (slow-wave) structure. An applied voltage pulse at the input end with a segment rising linearly in time becomes a linear voltage ramp in space that propagates down the line, corresponding to a (moving) region of constant axial accelerating electric field. The ions can "surf" on this traveling wave, experiencing a total energy gain that can greatly exceed the peak of the applied voltage. The applied voltage waveform can also be shaped to longitudinally confine the beam against its own space charge forces, and (in the final stage) to impart an inward compression to the beam for neutralized drift compression in heavy ion HEDP applications. In the first stages of a heavy ion accelerator, the pulseline velocity needs to be the order of 1% of the speed of light and the line must be sufficiently non-dispersive for the broad band voltage pulse propagating down the line to have minimal distortion. Experimental characterization of the dispersion and pulse propagation at low voltage on several helix models will be presented, and compared with theoretical predictions.* *Caporaso, et al, "Dispersion Analysis of the Pulseline Accelerator," this conference. |
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| FPAT029 | High Voltage Operation of Helical Pulseline Structures for Ion Acceleration | 2092 |
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Funding: This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Contract # DE-AC03-76SF00098. The basic concept for the acceleration of heavy ions using a helical pulseline requires the launching of a high voltage traveling wave with a waveform determined by the beam transport physics in order to maintain stability and acceleration.* This waveform is applied to the front of the helix, creating over the region of the ion bunch a constant axial acceleration electric field that travels down the line in synchronism with the ions. Several methods of driving the helix have been considered. Presently, the best method of generating the waveform and also maintaining the high voltage integrity appears to be a transformer primary loosely coupled to the front of the helix, generating the desired waveform and achieving a voltage step-up from primary to secondary (the helix). This can reduce the drive voltage that must be brought into the helix enclosure through the feedthroughs by factors of 5 or more. The accelerating gradient is limited by the voltage holding of the vacuum insulator, and the material and helix geometry must be chosen appropriately. The helix must also be terminated into its characteristic impedance, and designs of terminations incorporated into the helix internal enclosure are presented in the paper. *Briggs, et al, "Helical Pulseline Structures for Ion Acceleration," this conference. |
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| ROAB003 | Highly Compressed Ion Beams for High Energy Density Science | 339 |
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Funding: Work performed under auspices of USDOE by U. of CA LLNL & LBNL, PPPL, and SNL, under Contract Nos. W-7405-Eng-48, DE-AC03-76SF00098, DE-AC02-76CH03073, and DE-AC04-94AL85000, and by MRC and SAIC. The Heavy Ion Fusion Virtual National Laboratory (HIF-VNL) is developing the intense ion beams needed to drive matter to the High Energy Density (HED) regimes required for Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) and other applications. An interim goal is a facility for Warm Dense Matter (WDM) studies, wherein a target is heated volumetrically without being shocked, so that well-defined states of matter at 1 to 10 eV are generated within a diagnosable region. In the approach we are pursuing, low to medium mass ions with energies just above the Bragg peak are directed onto thin target "foils," which may in fact be foams or "steel wool" with mean densities 1% to 100% of solid. This approach complements that being pursued at GSI, wherein high-energy ion beams deposit a small fraction of their energy in a cylindrical target. We present the requirements for warm dense matter experiments, and describe suitable accelerator concepts, including novel broadband traveling wave pulse-line, drift-tube linac, RF, and single-gap approaches. We show how neutralized drift compression and final focus optics tolerant of large velocity spread can generate the necessarily compact focal spots in space and time. |
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| FOAA002 | Technological Improvements in the DARHT II Accelerator Cells | 169 |
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Funding: This work was supported by the U.S. National Nuclear Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy under contract W-7405-ENG-36. DARHT employs two perpendicular electron Linear Induction Accelerators to produce intense, bremsstrahlung x-ray pulses for flash radiography. The second axis, DARHT II, features an 18 MeV, 2-kA, 2-microsecond accelerator. DARHT II accelerator cells have undergone a series of test and modeling efforts to fully understand their sub par performance. These R&D efforts have led to a better understanding of Linear Induction Accelerator physics for the unique DARHT II design. Specific improvements have been identified and tested. Improvements in the cell oil region, the cell vacuum region, and the PFNs have been implemented in the prototype units that have doubled the cell’s performance. A series of prototype acceptance test are underway on a number of prototype units to demonstrate that the required cell lifetime is met at the improved performance levels. Early acceptance tests indicate that the lifetime requirements are being exceeded. The shortcomings of the previous design are summarized. The improvements to the original design, their resultant improvement in performance, and various test results are included. The final acceptance test results will also be included. |