Speaker
Chase Boulware
(Niowave, Inc.)
Description
High power electron beams from superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) linacs have numerous commercial applications including x-ray sterilization, active interrogation and radiography, industrial and medical isotope production, and free electron lasers. Many of these applications use an x-ray beam generated when the electrons strike a high-Z target. Such a target can be optimized for production of electron-positron pairs by high-energy Bremsstrahlung photons. Conventional x-ray and positron converters are made of solid, high-Z metals which can only dissipate a few kilowatts of beam power without complicated cooling systems. A liquid-metal target, on the other hand, can dissipate large quantities of heat by forced convection of the target material itself. This contribution will discuss a positron production system built at Niowave, Inc. for use with superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) linacs. The target is designed for use with a 10 MeV electron beam at 10 kW beam power in continuous-wave operation – producing a 20 nA positron current at the capture target for a capture field of 0.2 T. Future plans involve upgrading the target design to handle 100 kW at 10 MeV. Details to be presented include the predicted production rates for positrons, the prototype magnetic design for positron collection, design and construction of the liquid-metal targets with the magnetic collection system, testing of target flow in high magnetic fields, and the building and testing of prototype targets with electron beam from an SRF linac.
Primary author
Chase Boulware
(Niowave, Inc.)
Co-authors
Eric Olvias
(Los Alamos National Laboratory)
Jerry Hollister
(Niowave, Inc.)
Joe Grames
(JLab)
Keith Woloshun
(Los Alamos National Laboratory)
Mike Spata
(Jefferson Lab - Center for Advanced Studies of Accelerators)
Stuart Maloy
(Los Alamos National Laboratory)
Dr
Terry Grimm
(Niowave, Inc.)
Dr
Tony Forest
(Idaho State University)
Dr
Valeriia Starovoitova
(Niowave, Inc.)
Dr
Walter Wittmer
(Niowave, Inc.)
