A HEAVY ION RECIRCULATING LINAC FOR INERTIAL FUSION

THIS STUDY INVOLVES DESIGN OF A HIGH CURRENT, HEAVY ION, RECIRCULATING, INDUCTION LINEAR ACCELERATOR FOR INERTIAL FUSION. DOE RESEARCH PROGRAMS IN INERTIAL FUSION HAVE SHOWNTHAT THE HEAVY ION DRIVER METHOD IS A PROMISING ONE IN TERMSOF ION DEPOSITION, PELLET PHYSICS, ION BEAM TRANSPORT, AND OTHER MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS. HOWEVER, TO DATE SYSTEM DESIGNS HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO LINEAR ACCELERATORS BASED ON CONSERVATIVE EXTRAPOLATIONS OF CURRENTLY ACCEPTED METHODS. AS A RESULT, THE ACCELERATOR'S PROJECTED COST IS HIGH, AND THE HEAVY ION METHOD IS PERCEIVED AS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN COMPETING METHODS. IN THIS PROJECT, DESIGN AND CALCULATION STUDIES OF A RECIRCULATING LINAC WILL BE CARRIED OUT. IF SUCCESSFUL, THESE STUDIES WILL LEAD TO A DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN THE COST OF THE ACCELERATOR DRIVER. TRADEOFF STUDIES OF THE MAJOR PARAMETERS WILL BE CONDUCTED, AND RECENT ADVANCES IN BOTH BEAM PHYSICS AND ACCELERATOR TECHNOLOGY WILL BE INCORPORATED. THE EFFORT WILL BE APPLIED PRIMARILY TO A SINGLE-PULSE RESEARCH FACILITY, AND SECONDARILY TO LONG TERMENERGY PRODUCTION.