Order-of-Magnitude Beam Current Improvement in Compact Cyclotrons

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel compact cyclotron design incorporating vortex motion, achieving ten times higher beam current than existing models, with robust simulation validation and potential applications across various scientific and industrial fields.

Contribution

The paper presents the first design of a compact isochronous cyclotron capable of delivering 10 mA of 60 MeV protons, significantly surpassing current models in beam intensity.

Findings

Beam losses on extraction septa are below 50 W, well within safety limits.

Particle-in-cell simulations confirm the design's effectiveness and robustness.

Uncertainty quantification shows the design's stability against input parameter variations.

Abstract

There is great need for high intensity proton beams from compact particle accelerators in particle physics, medical isotope production, and materials- and energy-research. To address this need, we present, for the first time, a design for a compact isochronous cyclotron that will be able to deliver 10 mA of 60 MeV protons - an order of magnitude higher than on-market compact cyclotrons and a factor four higher than research machines. A key breakthrough is that vortex motion is incorporated in the design of a cyclotron, leading to clean extraction. Beam losses on the septa of the electrostatic extraction channels stay below 50 W (a factor four below the required safety limit), while maintaining good beam quality. We present a set of highly accurate particle-in-cell simulations, and an uncertainty quantification of select beam input parameters using machine learning, showing the robustness of the design. This design can be utilized for beams for experiments in particle and nuclear physics, materials science and medical physics as well as for industrial applications.