Beam dynamics for induction accelerators

Abstract

An induction linac uses pulsed power that is applied directly, without any intervening resonant cavities, to accelerate a charged particle pulse. This approach can accommodate a large multiple-beam focusing lattice capable of transporting a large total beam current with a long pulse duration, which may be compressed while accelerating as well as afterward. The mean accelerating gradient is relatively low (less than about 1.5MV/m), but the potential efficiency of energy transfer can be large up to about 50%. A multiple-beam induction linac is therefore a natural candidate accelerator for a heavy ion fusion (HIF) driver. However, the accelerated beams must meet stringent requirements on occupied phase space volume in order to be focused accurately and with small radius onto the fusion target. Dynamical considerations in the beam injector and linac, as well as in the final compression, final focus, and the fusion chamber, determine the quality of the driver beams as they approach the target. Requirements and tolerances derived from beam dynamics strongly influence the linac configuration and component design.After a summary of dynamical considerations, two major topics are addressed here: transportable current limits, which determine the choice of focal system for the linac, and longitudinal control of the beams, which are potentially destabilized by their interaction with the pulsed power system.