Building a Compact RF LINAC
Compact RF Linear Accelerator
When I worked at LBNL, my primary research focus was on a project to scale up the achievable beam currents in a compact RF linear accelerator (RF LINAC). RF LINACs have a upper limit on the achievable ion current density set by space charge forces. To achieve higher currents despite this limit, the concept of a mupltiple electrostatic quadrupole linear accelerator, or MEQALAC, was introduced in the 70s by Maschke. MEQALACs use multiple ion beams to deliver a higher current density. Our project implemented a MEQALAC using low-cost wafers to house the focusing electrodes and acceleration electrodes. This approach not only saves money, but also allows for easy scaling of beam currents and kinetic energy by scaling the number of beamlets or accelerations stages.
