U.S. Particle Accelerator School
U.S. Particle Accelerator School
Education in Beam Physics and Accelerator Technology

Proton and Ion Linear Accelerators

Sponsor:

University of New Mexico

Course Name:

Proton and Ion Linear Accelerators

Instructors:

Yuri Batygin and Sergey Kurennoy, Los Alamos National Lab


Purpose and Audience
The purpose of this course is to provide a comprehensive introduction to proton and ion RF linear accelerators. This course is suitable for graduate students, scientists, and engineers who want to get a better understanding of high-current beam dynamics and modern accelerator technology.

Prerequisites
Senior undergraduate-level Electromagnetism and Classical Mechanics are required. Familiarity with basic accelerator physics at the level of “Fundamentals of Accelerator Physics and Technology with Simulations and Measurements Lab", introductory plasma physics, and special relativity is recommended.

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they meet the course prerequisites or have equivalent experience.

Objectives
This course is intended to give a student a broad overview of Radio Frequency accelerators and beamlines for charged particle beams. Special emphasis is on high-current beam dynamics and linac technology. The topics include: principles of RF acceleration and focusing, particle dynamics with self-consistent space-charge, halo formation in particle beams, nonlinear effects in focusing and acceleration, beam loading effects, normal and superconducting accelerating structures, RF cavities and fabrication technology, beam focusing elements, and Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) accelerators. Students successfully completing the course will be able to design linear accelerators with high beam current, find optimal designs to minimize particle losses and to provide optimal beam dynamics in linacs, determine beam emittance growth and beam current limits in RF accelerators and beamlines.

Instructional Method
The course will consist of lectures during the morning sessions, focusing on the theoretical understanding of the course content. Afternoon sessions will focus on solving practical problems, and a research project on the design of a linear accelerator using codes provided by instructors. Daily homework will be assigned to reinforce and review basic concepts introduced. The instructors will be available during recitations and evening problem sessions.

Course Contents
The course provides a description of linear particle accelerators with intense beams. Topics covered include: basics of acceleration and focusing in RF linacs, RF accelerating structures, beam diagnostics, self-consistent dynamics of particles, emittance and brightness of the beam, beam focusing in quadrupole and solenoidal magnetic field focusing channels, beam current limits, nonlinear effects, beam loss emittance growth, beam halo formation, RFQ, and space charge dominated beams in RF linacs.

Reading Requirements
(to be provided by the USPAS) "RF Linear Accelerators" - second, completely revised and enlarged edition, Wiley Publishers (2008) by Thomas Wangler. Students will also receive instructor-provided handouts.

Credit Requirements
Students will be evaluated based on performance: an in-class final exam (20 % of the course grade), homework and research project assignments (80 % of the course grade).


University of New Mexico course number: ECE 595-003
Michigan State University course number: PHY 963 - 301 - Accelerator Physics
Indiana University course number: Physics 571, Special Topics in Physics of Beams
MIT course number: 8.790, Accelerator Physics