ILSE Heavy Ion Accelerator

Abstract

Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) propose to build at LBL the Induction Linac Systems Experiments (ILSE), the next logical step towards the eventual goal of a heavy-ion induction accelerator powerful enough to implode or {open_quotes}drive{close_quotes} inertial-confinement fusion targets. ILSE is a 10 MeV heavy ion accelerator system that will establish the beam dynamics understanding required for a heavy ion IFE driver. Space charge dominated beams with driver scale dimensions will be employed. ILSE, although much smaller than a driver, will be the first experiment at full driver scale in several important parameters. Most notable among these are line charge density and beam cross section. Nearly all accelerator components and beam manipulations needed for an inertial fusion energy (IFE) driver will be tested. The ILSE accelerator and research program will permit experimental study of those beam manipulations required of an induction linac inertial fusion driver that have not been tested sufficiently in previous experiments. ILSE is also an important step in driver technology development for heavy ion drivers.