CW high intensity non-scaling FFAG proton drivers

TL;DR

This paper discusses recent advances in Fixed-field Alternating Gradient (FFAG) accelerators, highlighting their potential to enable high-intensity, continuous-wave proton drivers for applications in science, medicine, and energy, overcoming limitations of traditional accelerators.

Contribution

It introduces new design innovations in FFAG technology that enable stable, isochronous, fixed-frequency CW acceleration, supported by advanced modeling tools like COSY INFINITY.

Findings

FFAGs can mitigate space charge effects with strong focusing optics.

Recent design advances enable stable, isochronous, fixed-frequency CW acceleration.

Modeling tools support the development of next-generation FFAG accelerators.

Abstract

Accelerators are playing increasingly important roles in basic science, technology, and medicine including nuclear power, industrial irradiation, material science, and neutrino production. Proton and light-ion accelerators in particular have many research, energy and medical applications, providing one of the most effective treatments for many types of cancer. Ultra high-intensity and high-energy (GeV) proton drivers are a critical technology for accelerator-driven sub-critical reactors (ADS) and many HEP programs (Muon Collider). These high-intensity GeV-range proton drivers are particularly challenging, encountering duty cycle and space-charge limits in the synchrotron and machine size concerns in the weaker-focusing cyclotrons; a 10-20 MW proton driver is not presently considered technically achievable with conventional re-circulating accelerators. One, as-yet, unexplored re-circulating accelerator, the Fixed-field Alternating Gradient, or FFAG, is an attractive alternative to the cyclotron. Its strong focusing optics are expected to mitigate space charge effects, and a recent innovation in design has coupled stable tunes with isochronous orbits, making the FFAG capable of fixed-frequency, CW acceleration, as in the classical cyclotron. This paper reports on these new advances in FFAG accelerator technology and references advanced modeling tools for fixed-field accelerators developed for and unique to the code COSY INFINITY.