Development of a Methodology for Analyzing Performance and Radiological Impact of Strippers and Mass Separators

75697-Heavy ion interactions with magnets, strippers, collimators, fragmentation targets, and mass separators have an important impact on the design of a facility such as the RIA (Rare Isotope Accelerator). Calculations to assess performance and radiological impact require not only heavy ion transport in material media, but also coupled transport in an electromagnetic field. Currently, no engineering design code can perform this task. This project will incorporate electromagnetic transport within the multipurpose Monte Carlo code MCNPX to allow for the reliable design of major components of the RIA, such as mass separators and strippers. Specifically, the event generator of the electromagnetic transport code TRACK will be incorporated to the MCNPX transport code to allow continuous transport of heavy ions from material media to an electromagnetic field and vice-versa. This feature will allow for the estimation of important parameters for the design of the facility, such as location and intensity of heat deposition, activation, and damage. Phase I will to assess the compatibility of the event generator from the electromagnetic transport code TRACK with the geometry and tracking from MCNPX. A study will be conducted to evaluate the modifications required and their viability within the timeframe and budget of the project. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The incorporation of electromagnetic transport into the MCNPX Monte Carlo transport code should have applications for any accelerator or environment having both charged particles and an electromagnetic field ¿ from medical to aerospace.