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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-354: Efficient and Enhanced QA Testing of Linear Accelerators Using a Real-Time Beam Monitor

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of performing routine QA tests of linear accelerators (Linac) using the Integral Quality Monitoring (IQM) system. The system, consisting of a 1-D sensitivity gradient large area ion-chamber mounted at the collimator, allows automatic collection and analysis of beam data. Methods: The IQM was investigated to perform several QA constancy tests, similar to those recommended by AAPM TG142, of a Linac including: beam output, MLC calibration, beam symmetry, relative dose factor (RDF), dose linearity, output as a function of gantry angle and dose rate. All measurements by the IQM system accompanied a reference measurement using a conventional dosimetry system and were performed on an Elekta Infinity Linac with Agility MLC. The MLC calibration check is done using a Picket-Fence type 2×10cm{sup 2} field positioned at different off-axis locations along the chamber gradient. Beam symmetry constancy values are established by signals from an 4×4cm{sup 2} aperture located at various off-axis positions; the sensitivity of the test was determined by the changes in the signals in response to a tilt in the beam. The data for various square field sizes were used to develop a functional relationship with RDF. Results: The IQM tracked the beam output well within 1% of the reference ion-chamber readings. The Picket-Fence type field test detected a 1mm shift error of one MLC bank. The system was able to detect 2.5% or greater beam asymmetry. The IQM results for all other QA tests were found to agree with the reference values to within 0.5%. Conclusion: It was demonstrated that the IQM system can effectively monitor the Linac performance parameters for the purpose of routine QA constancy tests. With minimum user interactions a comprehensive set of tests can be performed efficiently, allowing frequent monitoring of the Linac. The presenting author’s salary is funded by the manufacturer of the QA device. All the other authors have financial interests with the commercialization of this QA device.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Daily QA of linear accelerators using only EPID and OBI

Purpose: As treatment delivery becomes more complex, there is a pressing need for robust quality assurance (QA) tools to improve efficiency and comprehensiveness while simultaneously maintaining high accuracy and sensitivity. This work aims to present the hardware and software tools developed for comprehensive QA of linear accelerator (LINAC) using only electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) and kV flat panel detectors. Methods: A daily QA phantom, which includes two orthogonally positioned phantoms for QA of MV-beams and kV onboard imaging (OBI) is suspended from the gantry accessory holder to test both geometric and dosimetric components of a LINAC and an OBI. The MV component consists of a 0.5 cm water-equivalent plastic sheet incorporating 11 circular steel plugs for transmission measurements through multiple thicknesses and one resolution plug for MV-image quality testing. The kV-phantom consists of a Leeds phantom (TOR-18 FG phantom supplied by Varian) for testing low and high contrast resolutions. In the developed process, the existing LINAC tools were used to automate daily acquisition of MV and kV images and software tools were developed for simultaneous analysis of these images. A method was developed to derive and evaluate traditional QA parameters from these images [output, flatness, symmetry, uniformity, TPR{sub 20/10}, and positional accuracy of the jaws and multileaf collimators (MLCs)]. The EPID-based daily QA tools were validated by performing measurements on a detuned 6 MV beam to test its effectiveness in detecting errors in output, symmetry, energy, and MLC positions. The developed QA process was clinically commissioned, implemented, and evaluated on a Varian TrueBeam LINAC (Varian Medical System, Palo Alto, CA) over a period of three months. Results: Machine output constancy measured with an EPID (as compared against a calibrated ion-chamber) is shown to be within ±0.5%. Beam symmetry and flatness deviations measured using an EPID and a 2D ion-chamber array agree within ±0.5% and ±1.2% for crossline and inline profiles, respectively. MLC position errors of 0.5 mm can be detected using a picket fence test. The field size and phantom positioning accuracy can be determined within 0.5 mm. The entire daily QA process takes ∼15 min to perform tests for 5 photon beams, MLC tests, and imaging checks. Conclusions: The exclusive use of EPID-based QA tools, including a QA phantom and simultaneous analysis software tools, has been demonstrated as a viable, efficient, and comprehensive process for daily evaluation of LINAC performance.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Modification and validation of an analytical source model for external beam radiotherapy Monte Carlo dose calculations

Purpose: A dose calculation tool, which combines the accuracy of the dose planning method (DPM) Monte Carlo code and the versatility of a practical analytical multisource model, which was previously reported has been improved and validated for the Varian 6 and 10 MV linear accelerators (linacs). The calculation tool can be used to calculate doses in advanced clinical application studies. One shortcoming of current clinical trials that report dose from patient plans is the lack of a standardized dose calculation methodology. Because commercial treatment planning systems (TPSs) have their own dose calculation algorithms and the clinical trial participant who uses these systems is responsible for commissioning the beam model, variation exists in the reported calculated dose distributions. Today’s modern linac is manufactured to tight specifications so that variability within a linac model is quite low. The expectation is that a single dose calculation tool for a specific linac model can be used to accurately recalculate dose from patient plans that have been submitted to the clinical trial community from any institution. The calculation tool would provide for a more meaningful outcome analysis. Methods: The analytical source model was described by a primary point source, a secondary extra-focal source, and a contaminant electron source. Off-axis energy softening and fluence effects were also included. The additions of hyperbolic functions have been incorporated into the model to correct for the changes in output and in electron contamination with field size. A multileaf collimator (MLC) model is included to facilitate phantom and patient dose calculations. An offset to the MLC leaf positions was used to correct for the rudimentary assumed primary point source. Results: Dose calculations of the depth dose and profiles for field sizes 4 × 4 to 40 × 40 cm agree with measurement within 2% of the maximum dose or 2 mm distance to agreement (DTA) for 95% of the data points tested. The model was capable of predicting the depth of the maximum dose within 1 mm. Anthropomorphic phantom benchmark testing of modulated and patterned MLCs treatment plans showed agreement to measurement within 3% in target regions using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). Using radiochromic film normalized to TLD, a gamma criteria of 3% of maximum dose and 2 mm DTA was applied with a pass rate of least 85% in the high dose, high gradient, and low dose regions. Finally, recalculations of patient plans using DPM showed good agreement relative to a commercial TPS when comparing dose volume histograms and 2D dose distributions. Conclusions: A unique analytical source model coupled to the dose planning method Monte Carlo dose calculation code has been modified and validated using basic beam data and anthropomorphic phantom measurement. While this tool can be applied in general use for a particular linac model, specifically it was developed to provide a singular methodology to independently assess treatment plan dose distributions from those clinical institutions participating in National Cancer Institute trials.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-G-JeP2-11: Polymer Gels as 3D QA Devices in Magnetic Resonance-Guided Radiation Therapy

Purpose: To demonstrate the potential of polymer gels to serve as 3D QA devices in MR-guided radiotherapy. Methods: Custom-designed polymer gel dosimeters (MGS Research, Madison, CT) were centered on the penumbras of a radiation field, parallel to the magnetic field lines inside a 1.5 T MR scanner integrated with a 7 MV linac (MR-Linac). 15 Gy were delivered perpendicular to the magnetic field. Coronal MR images were acquired with a 2D balanced-Fast Field Echo (b-FFE) sequence in real-time during irradiation and with a 2D spin echo sequence at different times after irradiation. Signal intensities (SI) were measured inside and outside the radiation field on b-FFE images obtained during irradiation. Spin-spin relaxation rate (R2) maps were calculated from images after irradiation and penumbra widths were calculated from these maps. Results: A difference in SI between areas of the dosimeter inside and outside of the radiation field could be measured immediately after the beam was turned on. The difference in SI increased throughout the duration of the exposure. R2 values from immediately after irradiation were 83% of those measured 24h post-irradiation. At 1h after irradiation, the R2 values were 87% of those at 24h indicating that polymerization of the gel was still ongoing. At 24h postirradiation the width of the 80/20 penumbra on the left field edge measured 6.5 mm and on the right 5.6 mm. Conclusion: The MR-Linac allows for MR imaging during treatment and measurements of 3D dose distributions with steep dose gradients without having to transfer dosimeters for read-out. The results showed promise for polymer gels as relative 3D QA devices to verify radiation treatment plans delivered by an MR-Linac. To our knowledge, this was the first time that polymer gels were used for real-time image acquisition. Further investigations into the application of polymer gel dosimetry on MR-Linac are ongoing.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Report of the eRHIC Ring-Ring Working Group

This report evaluates the ring-ring option for eRHIC as a lower risk alternative to the linac-ring option. The reduced risk goes along with a reduced initial luminosity performance. However, a luminosity upgrade path is kept open. This upgrade path consists of two branches, with the ultimate upgrade being either a ring-ring or a linac-ring scheme. The linac-ring upgrade could be almost identical to the proposed linac-ring scheme, which is based on an ERL in the RHIC tunnel. This linac-ring version has been studied in great detail over the past ten years, and its significant risks are known. On the other hand, no detailed work on an ultimate performance ring-ring scenario has been performed yet, other than the development of a consistent parameter set. Pursuing the ring-ring upgrade path introduces high risks and requires significant design work that is beyond the scope of this report.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

High Average Current Bunched Electron Source for RF Accelerators

High-average current high-quality electron beams are imperative for high-power RF accelerators used in various energy and environmental applications in industry, medicine, and national security as well as for advanced existing and future accelerator systems such as PIP II, particle colliders (eRHIC BNL) for cooling high-energy proton, ion, and hadron beams, storage rings, wakefield accelerators (AWA), and energy recovery linacs. The most common current approach to generate high-peak current high-brightness short electron bunches uses photoemission excited by intense laser radiation. However, to avoid overheating photocathodes are operated at a subharmonic of the linac frequency that in turn restricts the average beam current. There are also limitations in the electron-beam average current due to the average power available from drive lasers. On the other hand, the state of the art thermionic sources that produce high average current electron beams do not have yet good emission gating methods to realize sufficiently short and good quality electron bunches. We develop a robust thermionic electron source (e-source) of >1 A average current with advanced gating of the emission at the linac-frequency and its 3rd harmonic. Central to the approach is a novel scheme for energy efficient feeding of the 3rd-harmonic power in the RF gap. The cathode is attached to the gun cavity through this small emission-gating gap in which the RF modes are excited. The use of thermionic emission allows for the desired high-average current CW electron beams. Adding the 3rd emission gating harmonic shortens the electron bunches and by this means lessens impact of the RF curvature on the beam quality resulting in the smaller energy spread and bunch emittances. Such high current electron beam is suitable for injection into high-power normal- or superconducting linacs in CW mode at a high repetition rate of the linac frequency. In Phase I, we performed modeling and beam dynamics, parametric, and optimization studies. A >1A average current e-source with 200,000hrs lifetime expectancy has been demonstrated in the simulations. We have developed baseline design of the e-source and its components. It is anticipated that the e-source will be in demand for normal- and superconducting particle accelerators and will benefit many commercial and energy and environmental applications such as treating waste and potable water, sludge, stack gases, and medical waste as well as X-ray sources for medicine, sterilization, materials processing, geology, and non-intrusive imaging.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Validation of Analytical Calculations for the NSLS-II Injection Shutters with FLUKA Monte-Carlo Program

The NSLS-II injector consists of a 200 MeV linac and a 3.0 GeV booster synchrotron for beam injection into the 3.0 GeV electron storage ring. The linac serves as the initial accelerator for the facility and is designed to produce 15nC/pulse at 200 MeV. The linac typically operates at a 1Hz rep rate. The linac injects 200 MeV electron pulses to the booster synchrotron to be accelerated to the energy of 3.0 GeV. The injection process to the booster is done through a transfer line from the linac to the booster ring. Similarly, the booster serves as the accelerating synchrotron to ramp up the electron energy to 3.0 GeV before being injected into the storage ring through a transfer line.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Hazard Analysis for 90 MeV Booster Injection Energy Limit

The NSLS-II booster is designed to accelerate 200 MeV electrons to an energy of 3 GeV to serve as a full energy injector for the NSLS-II storage ring. Electrons are supplied to the booster from the NSLS-II linac. The NSLS-II booster was specified to accept electrons with an energy as low as 170 MeV. The supplemental shielding is designed to shield all energies from 150 MeV to the booster’s maximum energy of 3.2 GeV. Due to the shielding design, the NSLS-II PPS system guarantees that the beam energy must be above 151 MeV upon transport to the booster ring for injection. Recently, problems with the linac klystrons have come to the point that operating the NSLS-II linac below the 150 MeV may be the only possible way for the linac to deliver electrons to the booster. If the NSLS-II linac were limited to operate on only 1 klystron, at full power only 120 MeV beam energy would be possible. The nominal operating energy would be 100 MeV to leave overhead for beam loading compensation and to not stress the last remaining klystron any more than necessary. Since this is below the design of the booster shielding, the supplemental shielding needs to be analyzed to ensure that it is sufficient for lower energy beams. In this report, we discuss the impact of lowering the booster injection energy to 90 MeV on the supplemental shielding. Issues relating to how the booster will perform at this lower energy are not discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Transfer Line at Fermilab

Beam loss in high-intensity H- linacs, such as the PIP-II linac at Fermilab, is a critical challenge that requires comprehensive study and understanding to ensure efficient and safe operation. This study explores the various beam loss mechanisms encountered in the PIP-II linac and its beam transfer line, drawing parallels from other high-intensity H- linacs. Key loss mechanisms include residual gas stripping, where H- ions interact with residual gas molecules leading to electron detachment; field stripping, caused by the interaction of H- ions with magnetic fields; and intra-beam stripping, resulting from interactions within the beam itself. Beam halo formation, particularly due to Twiss function mismatch, is another significant source of beam loss, which can be exacerbated by Landau damping mechanisms. Adhering to the 1 W/m loss criterion is essential to maintain hands-on maintenance capability and ensure the longevity of the accelerator components. By understanding these mechanisms and implementing targeted mitigation strategies, the PIP-II linac can achieve its design goals while maintaining safe and efficient operations.

Pathak, Abhishek↗
DOE OSTI2025

LAMP Emittance Budget, Rev. 1

This report summarizes the performance limits of the LANSCE Coupled-Cavity Linac (CCL). These results are captured or summarized directly from the references cited. This report was written in support of the LANSCE Modernization Project (LAMP). This brief report summarizes the emittance budget for the LANSCE Modernization Project (LAMP). While the project Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) specify threshold and objective requirements for charge delivered to each experimental area, no upper limits on beam emittances are specified. To maintain low losses in the high-energy section of the LANSCE linac and hands-on maintenance, some upper limits on beam emittance need to be specified for the new LAMP front-end performance. The scope of the LAMP project replaces the injector section and drift-tube linac (DTL) up to 100 MeV of the existing LANSCE linac. This new design replacement will be integrated with the remaining coupled cavity linac (CCL) which makes up most of the accelerator at LANSCE and accelerates the beam to a final energy of 800 MeV. The initial approach that has been used to define an emittance budget for the new LAMP front end is based on recent and historical measured beam emittances at 100 MeV for the three beam types accelerated at LANSCE: H+ (protons for isotope production), LBEG (H- beam for delivery to proton radiography and to the Lujan neutron spallation target, and MPEG (H- beam for delivery to the Weapons Neutron Research facility). The emittance budget (upper limit) for each beam type has been selected to maintain the losses in the CCL to a level approximately equivalent to those observed in present operations to first order. However, the goal of the LAMP project is to improve the quality of the beams injected into the CCL, if possible, thus allowing for higher average current operation while also lowering beam losses and activation at high beam energies. The table below summarizes the beam measurements evaluated and used to establish a conservative emittance budget for LAMP based on known historical beam losses and activation. However, based on estimates of the CCL admittance and the Isotope Production Facility (IPF) beamline acceptance, a more relaxed transverse emittance upper limit of 0.095 π-cm-mrad, rms, normalized may be acceptable at 100 MeV while still meeting the LAMP performance requirements for charge delivery to each LANSCE experimental area and maintaining hands-on maintenance. This upper limit is supported by a recent analysis of operational data. Additionally, the present conceptual LAMP front-end design meets this requirement.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Separated-orbit bisected energy-recovered linear accelerator

A separated-orbit bisected energy-recovered linear accelerator apparatus and method. The accelerator includes a first linac, a second linac, and a plurality of arcs of differing path lengths, including a plurality of up arcs, a plurality of downgoing arcs, and a full energy arc providing a path independent of the up arcs and downgoing arcs. The up arcs have a path length that is substantially a multiple of the RF wavelength and the full energy arc includes a path length that is substantially an odd half-integer multiple of the RF wavelength. Operation of the accelerator includes accelerating the beam utilizing the linacs and up arcs until the beam is at full energy, at full energy executing a full recirculation to the second linac using a path length that is substantially an odd half-integer of the RF wavelength, and then decelerating the beam using the linacs and downgoing arcs.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Validation of a Monte Carlo model for the MLC-Elekta Precise with MCNP6 - Paper 76

Cancer treatment using radiotherapy techniques needs an accurate prediction of the dose delivered to the patient at each position. Treatment planning systems (TPS) allow the optimization of the dose delivered to the tumor volume while minimizing the dose absorbed by the surrounding healthy tissue. Commercial treatment planning systems use empirical deterministic algorithms that do not correctly estimate the dose in the surroundings of heterogeneities. This lack of accuracy is taken into account as bigger security margins in the treatment, reducing the potential effect of the treatment. However, Monte Carlo (MC) simulation techniques have proved to predict the dose distribution more accurately and also representing experimental data better. Nevertheless, the clinical application of these techniques has been limited by the long calculation times they require. As high performance computers decrease in cost MC simulations become more feasible to be used in TPS. The present work improves a simplified model of the MLC-Elekta Precise linear accelerator (linac or unit from now on) previously developed and correctly validated by the group. A multileaf collimator (MLC) has been modelled according to the manufacturer specifications and added to the previous model to allow higher conformity in the studies. The full geometry has been entered to the MCNP6 Monte Carlo code to simulate the transport of particles through the linac. The geometry also includes a cubic water phantom for dosimetry studies and validation with experimental data. The experimental data employed for the dose distribution comparison has been measured at the linac from the linac Hospital Universitari Clinic de Valencia (Spain). Additionally, particles are stored in a phase space surface before their entrance in the water to be analyzed and for performance optimization. Given the results presented, we conclude that this first approach to validate a model of the Elekta Precise linac from the Hospital Cl nic Universitari de Valancia represents well the depth-dose distribution, but fails at representing the dose profiles. It has been shown that they predict too much penumbra, probably caused by the filtration between the leaves. In order to solve this problems, further work is needed to improve the simulated model. This work will mainly focus on the multileaf collimator. Also, the codes developed by the group to analyze phase space files produced by MCNP6 have proven highly useful. As work progress and the codes are debugged, they will be published so that the community can take advantage of them.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurement and Control of Beam Energy at the Fermilab 400 MeV Transfer Line

Linac is the first machine in the Accelerator chain at Fermilab where particles are accelerated from 35 keV to 400 MeV and travel to the Booster where they are stripped of the extra electrons to become protons. Tuning Linac is performed using diagnostics to ensure stable intensity and energy while minimizing uncontrolled particle loss. I have been revisiting diagnostics in the Linac in order to understand their signals and to ensure their data is reliable. I revisited Beam Loss Monitors (BLMs) for the loss data confidence. For the confidence of energy data there were two approaches. The first approach was time-of-flight measurements using Beam Position Monitors (BPMs) and beam velocity stripline pick-up that provides beam phase data. The second approach used the relation between beam position data from BPMs and dispersion values from MAD-X simulation to calculate energy. Our goal after understanding the data from the Linac diagnostics and finding the data reliable is to control the L inac parameters using Machine Learning techniques to increase the reliability and quality of beam delivered from Linac.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2018

When and how to treat an IMRT patient on a second accelerator without replanning?

When a linear accelerator is unavailable for treatment, a clinical decision is imminent regarding whether a patient should be treated on a linear accelerator other than the machine the patient was scheduled on, or whether treatment should be postponed until the original Linac becomes available. This work investigates the feasibility of switching patients to different accelerators for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). We have performed Monte Carlo simulations of photon beams from different Linac models and vendors. Prostate and head and neck (H&N) treatment plans for Siemens Primus, Primart, and Varian 21EX accelerators are studied in this work. Dose distributions for given plans are recalculated using different beam data with the same nominal energy from different Linacs. We have compared dose-volume histograms (DVHs) and the maximum, the minimum, and the mean doses to the target and critical structures because of switching accelerators. In the process of switching a treatment plan to a different accelerator, issues exist, including optimum penumbra compensation, dose distribution at the boundary of target and critical structures, and multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf-width effects, which need to be considered and verified with measurements. Our Monte Carlo simulation results confirm that, for the cases we tested, the dose received by 95% of the planning target volume differs by 0.2% to 1.5% between Siemens Primus and Varian 21EX Linacs. The discrepancy is within our clinical acceptance criteria of 3% for IMRT treatments. In making the final decision on whether to switch machines or not, the tumor control probabilities (TCPs) based on a linear-quadratic model are compared. Based on the analyses performed in this work, it is therapeutically more beneficial to switch a patient to a different machine than to postpone a treatment until the original machine is available, especially for fast-growing tumors such as H&N cancers.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Tuning of LANSCE 805-MHz high-energy linear accelerator with reduced beam losses

Suppression of beam losses is essential for successful operation of high-intensity linac. Historically, the values of the field amplitudes and phases of the side-coupled, 805-MHz LANSCE linac modules are maintained using a well-known delta-t tuning procedure. Transverse matching of the beam with accelerator is performed through adjustments of beam ellipses in 4D phase space with accelerator lattice using matching quadrupoles. Control of the beam-energy ramp along the length of a proton linear accelerator is required to improve tune of accelerator and decrease beam losses. Time-of-flight measurements of the H - beam energy are now being used to confirm and improve the overall control of the energy ramp along the linac. The time-of-flight method utilizes absolute measurements of beam energy using direct signals from beam at an oscilloscope, as well as the difference in RF phases measured as the beam passes installed delta-t pickup loops. A newly developed BPPM data acquisition system is used. Beam energy measurement along accelerator together with phase scans, klystrons output power control, and delta-t method, allow tuning of accelerator much more close to original design and reduce losses generated by linac. Details of the upgraded tuning procedure and results of tuning and operation are presented here.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

A look ahead: Status of the SNS external antenna ion source and the new RFQ test stand

The U.S. Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) now operates with ∼1 MW of beam power to target with the near-term goal of delivering 1.4 MW. Plans are being considered to incorporate a second target station into the facility which will require ∼2.8 MW of beam power. Presently, H{sup −} beam pulses (∼1 ms, 60 Hz) are produced by an RF-driven, Cs-enhanced, multi-cusp ion source which injects beam into an RFQ (Radio Frequency Quadrupole) accelerator that, in turn, feeds the SNS Linac. Currently the source/RFQ system delivers ∼35 mA of pulsed current to the linac which is mostly sufficient for 1.4 MW operations while ∼50 mA are needed for the second target station upgrade. This paper provides a look forward for the SNS by providing (i) the present and future SNS source/RFQ beam requirements and our plans to achieve these, (ii) a description and status of the external antenna ion source being developed for the replacement of the current internal antenna ion source, and (iii) a description and status of the newly constructed RFQ test facility.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Bi-alkali antimonide photocathode growth: An X-ray diffraction study

Bi-alkali antimonide photocathodes are one of the best known sources of electrons for high current and/or high bunch charge applications like Energy Recovery Linacs or Free Electron Lasers. Despite their high quantum efficiency in visible light and low intrinsic emittance, the surface roughness of these photocathodes prohibits their use as low emittance cathodes in high accelerating gradient superconducting and normal conducting radio frequency photoguns and limits the minimum possible intrinsic emittance near the threshold. Also, the growth process for these materials is largely based on recipes obtained by trial and error and is very unreliable. In this paper, using X-ray diffraction, we investigate the different structural and chemical changes that take place during the growth process of the bi-alkali antimonide material K{sub 2}CsSb. Our measurements give us a deeper understanding of the growth process of alkali-antimonide photocathodes allowing us to optimize it with the goal of minimizing the surface roughness to preserve the intrinsic emittance at high electric fields and increasing its reproducibility.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Installation and commissioning of the ion source systems for the new spallation neutron source 2.5 MeV injector

The U.S. Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is a state-of-the-art neutron scattering facility delivering the world’s most intense pulsed neutron beams to a wide array of instruments, which are used to conduct investigations in many fields of engineering, physics, chemistry, material science, and biology. Neutrons are produced by spallation of liquid Hg by the bombardment of short (∼1 µs), intense (∼35 A) pulses of protons delivered at 60 Hz by an accumulator ring which is fed by a high-intensity, 1 GeV, H− LINAC (linear accelerator). This facility has operated nearly continuously since 2006 but has recently undergone a 4-month maintenance period, which featured a complete replacement of the 2.5 MeV injector feeding the LINAC. The new injector was developed at ORNL in an off-line beam test facility and consists of an ion source, low energy beam transport, and a Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ). This report first describes the installed configuration of the new injector detailing the ion source system. The first beam current, RFQ transmission, emittance, and energy measurements from the injector installed on the SNS are reported. These data not only show a significant performance improvement for our existing facility but will also make accessible the higher beam current requirements for future SNS upgrade projects: the proton power upgrade and second target station.

Welton, R. F.↗