Vertical excursion fixed-field alternating gradient accelerators can be designed with tunes that are invariant with respect to momentum and trajectories that are scaled images of each other displaced only in the vertical direction. This is possible using guiding fields that have a vertical exponential increase, with a skew quadrupole component in the magnet body and a solenoid component at the magnet ends. Because of the coupling this introduces, orbit and optics calculations and optimisation of parameters need to be performed numerically. In this paper, idealised magnetic fields are calculated from first principles, taking into account end fields. The parameter dependence of the optics and the dynamic aperture of the ring are calculated for the example of a ring with an approximately 25 m circumference that accelerates proton beams from 3 MeV to 12 MeV. The paper reports for the first time the design of such an accelerator lattice using tools specifically devised to analyse transverse coupled optics without the need for approximations.
Orbital period in a ring accelerator and time of flight in a linear accelerator depend on the amplitude of betatron oscillations. The variation is negligible in ordinary particle accelerators with relatively small beam emittance. In an accelerator for large emittance beams like muons and unstable nuclei, however, this effect cannot be ignored. We measured orbital period in a linear non-scaling fixed field alternating gradient (FFAG) accelerator, which is a candidate for muon acceleration, and compared with the theoretical prediction. The good agreement between them gives important ground for t…
Due to its simplicity the classical cyclotron has been used very early for applications in sciency, medicine and industry. Higher energies and intensities were achieved through the concepts of the sector focused isochronous cyclotron and the synchro-cyclotron. Besides those the fixed field alternating gradient accelerator (FFA) represents the most general concept among these types of fixed field accelerators, and the latter one is actively studied and developed for future applications.
A novel scaling type of Fixed-Field Alternating-Gradient (FFAG) accelerator is proposed that solves the major problems of conventional scaling FFAGs. This scaling FFAG accelerator combines reverse bending magnets of the radial sector type and a spiral edge angle of the spiral sector type to ensure sufficient vertical focusing without relying on extreme values of either parameter. This new concept makes it possible to design a scaling FFAG for high energy (above GeV range) applications such as a proton driver for a spallation neutron source and an accelerator driven subcritical reactor.
In this paper we describe the methods and tools used to characterize a 150 MeV proton scaling Fixed Field Alternating Gradient (FFAG) accelerator at Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute. Many of the techniques used are unique to this class of machine and are thus of relevance to any future FFAG accelerator. For the first time we detail systematic studies undertaken to improve the beam quality of the FFAG. The control of beam quality in this manner is crucial to demonstrating high power operation of FFAG accelerators in future.
The concept of a fixed field alternating gradient (FFAG) accelerator was invented in the 1950s. Although many studies were carried out up to the late 1960s, there has been relatively little progress until recently, when it received widespread attention as a type of accelerator suitable for very fast acceleration and for generating high-power beams. In this paper, we describe the principles and design procedure of a FFAG accelerator.
In this paper, we investigate the stability of the particle trajectories in Fixed Field alternating gradient Accelerators (FFA) in the presence of field errors: The emphasis is on the scaling radial sector FFA type: a collaboration work is on-going in view of better understanding the properties of the 150 MeV scaling FFA at KURRI in Japan, and progress towards high intensity operation. Analysis of certain types of field imperfections revealed some interesting features about this machine that explain some of the experimental results and generalize the concept of a scaling FFA to a non-scaling o…
NORMA is a design for a normal-conducting race track fixed-field alternating-gradient accelerator (FFAG) for protons from 50 to 350 MeV. In this article we show the development from an idealised lattice to a design implemented with field maps from rigorous two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) FEM magnet modelling. We show that whilst the fields from a 2D model may reproduce the idealised field to a close approximation, adjustments must be made to the lattice to account for differences brought about by the 3D model and fringe fields and full 3D models. Implementing these lattice corr…
The concept of dielectric-laser acceleration (DLA) provides the highest gradients among breakdown-limited (nonplasma) particle accelerators and thus the potential of miniaturization. The implementation of a fully scalable electron accelerator on a microchip by twodimensional alternating phase focusing (APF), which relies on homogeneous laser fields and external magnetic focusing in the third direction, was recently proposed. In this Letter, we generalize the APF for DLA scheme to 3D, such that stable beam transport and acceleration is attained without any external equipment, while the structur…
Conventional magnetic transverse focusing in conventional linear accelerators represents a high fraction of their cost and complexity. Both transverse and longitudinal focusing can be obtained from the radio frequency field by using the technique known as Alternating Phase Focusing. The design of suitable sequences has been difficult, without direct theoretical support, inhibiting Alternating Phase Focusing adoption. Synthesis of reported details and new physics and technique result in a new, general method for designing practical Alternating Phase Focusing linear accelerators. Very long seque…
In this paper, a novel concept combining a fixed field alternating gradient accelerator with time-varying quadrupoles is presented which solves some of the major problems of conventional fixed field accelerators. This concept combines a stable racetrack fixed field configuration with dispersion free straight sections to enable continuous variable energy extraction. In the long straight sections, a time-varying synchrotron-like alternating gradient focusing structure makes it possible for the first time to correct the beam optics of an FFA accelerator in order to heuristically maximize the beam…
Not long after the laser was invented, it has been marked as a candidate source of strong, high-frequency electromagnetic radiation for acceleration of particles. Indeed, while the complex particle accelerator facilities today are an astonishing culmination of decades of work contributed by generations of physicists, engineers, and a host of scientists, new trends and acceleration technologies have been recently proposed and demonstrated. One of these technologies involves the miniaturization of particle accelerators, which is achieved by replacing the radio-frequency electromagnetic fields ac…
This paper reports on the conclusions of a 2013 Joint DOE/NCI Workshop, and translates clinical accelerator facility requirements into accelerator and beam-delivery technical specifications. Available or feasible accelerator technologies are compared, including a new concept for a compact, CW, and variable energy light ion accelerator currently under development. This new light ion accelerator is based on advances in non-scaling Fixed-Field Alternating gradient (FFAG) accelerator design. The new design concepts combine isochronous orbits with long (up to 4m) straight sections in a compact race…
Fixed-field Alternating Gradient (FFAG) accelerators offer the potential of high-quality, moderate energy ion beams at low cost. Modeling of these structures is challenging with conventional beam tracking codes because of the large radial excursions of the beam and the significance of fringe field effects. Numerous tune resonances are crossed during the acceleration, which would lead to beam instability and loss in a storage ring. In a non-scaling FFAG, the hope is that these resonances can be crossed sufficiently rapidly to prevent beam loss. Simulations are required to see if this is indeed …
In the recent decades of particle accelerator R&D area, fixed field alternating gradient (FFAG) accelerator has become a highlight for some advantages of its higher beam intensity and lower cost, although there are still some technical challenges. In this paper, FFAG accelerator is adopted to accelerate helium ion beam on the one hand for the study of helium embrittlement on fusion reactor envelope material and on the other hand for promoting the conception research and design of FFAG accelerator and exploring the possibility of developing high power FFAG accelerators. The conventional period …
Accelerators are playing increasingly important roles in basic science, technology, and medicine including nuclear power, industrial irradiation, material science, and neutrino production. Proton and light-ion accelerators in particular have many research, energy and medical applications, providing one of the most effective treatments for many types of cancer. Ultra high-intensity and high-energy (GeV) proton drivers are a critical technology for accelerator-driven sub-critical reactors (ADS) and many HEP programs (Muon Collider). These high-intensity GeV-range proton drivers are particularly …
The single stretched-wire method is commonly used to measure the magnetic field strength and magnetic axis in an accelerator magnet. The integrated voltage at the connection terminals of the wire is a measure for the flux linked with the surface traced out by the displaced wire. The stretched wire can also be excited with an alternating current well below the resonance frequency. It is thus possible to measure multipole field errors by making use of the linear relationship between the wire-oscillation amplitude, integrated field, and current amplitude. This technique is a good example for solv…
This whitepaper summarizes and the state of the field of high-power cyclotrons and FFAs as discussed by international experts during a three-day workshop of the same name. The workshop was held online from Sep 7 to Sep 9, 2021 as part of the US Snowmass'21 Community Exercise, specifically the Accelerator Frontier (AF) and the subpanel Accelerators for Neutrinos (AF02). Thus, we put emphasis on the application of high-power cyclotrons in particle physics, specifically neutrino physics, and as drivers for muon production. In the introduction, we discuss the role of cyclotrons for particle physic…
In the development of high efficiency and high gradient RF-accelerators, RF waveguides and cavities have been designed with Photonic Band Gap (PBG) and fishnet- metamaterial structures. The designed structures are comprised of a periodically corrugated channel sandwiched between two photonic crystal slabs with alternating high to low dielectric constants and a multi-cell cavity-resonator designed with fishnet-metamaterial apertures. The structural designs of our interest are intended to only allow an operating-mode or -band within a narrow frequency range to propagate. The simulation analysis …
Fixed-field alternating gradient accelerators are promising candidates for next-generation 10 MW-class high power proton drivers. Recent advances in lattice design of non-scaling FFAGs have progressed toward both isochronicity and chromatic correction. The resulting 1 GeV non-scaling FFAG design may be able to support a continuous (CW) beam with far lower peak current than the pulsed alternative. A 6-cell non-scaling FFAG design is described and recent work in modeling 3D space charge using the OPAL framework is presented, including fixed energy studies and beam dynamics with fast acceleration…
Design of a Storage Ring based on a Fixed Field Alternating Gradient Configuration with an Internal Target for Heavy-Ion Beams with Stochastic Charge State Conversions
Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University（京都大学辐射核科学综合研究所）；Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency（日本原子能研究机构先进科学研究中心）
China spallation neutron source(CSNS) is a high intensity proton accelerator based facility, and its accelerator complex includes two main parts: an H- linac and a rapid cycling synchrotron(RCS). The rcs accumulates the 80MeV proton beam, and accelerates it to 1.6GeV, with a repetition rate of 25 Hz. The AC dipole of the RCS is operated at a 25Hz sinusoidal alternating current which causes severe vibration. The vibration will influence the long-term safety and reliable operation of the magnet. The dipole magnet of RCS is active vibration equipment which is different with ground vibration accel…
