Experimental and Numerical Studies of Particle Acceleration by an Active Microwave Medium

The DOE is seeking new techniques for particle acceleration that are cost effective and efficient. This project will develop and verify one such concept, electron acceleration by a fullerene-based active medium. In particular, synthesis and manufacturing techniques will be developed for a fullerene-based active medium, its properties will be characterized, and numerical techniques will be developed to incorporate the measurement results into a structure design code. In Phase I, the chemistry of fullerenes was studied in liquid crystal matrices. The composition of the materials was optimized for maximum stored energy, using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. A design code, capable of designing an accelerating structure based on this technology, was developed, along with a design for a test system. Phase II will construct a device for measuring the electromagnetic characteristics of these materials and design an experiment to validate this acceleration technique. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Beyond the application for low-cost, high-gradient electron accelerators, the technology could be extended to ion acceleration (with possible applications to ion implantation and ion microprobes). In addition, the active medium could have application as a low-noise, tunable microwave amplifier.