First beam for the MYRRHA RFQ!

On June 25, at the University of Louvain-La-Neuve (Belgium), the MYRRHA collaboration completed the installation of one of the key components of its future linear accelerator: the radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ). This quadrupole of the future linear proton accelerator of the MYRRHA project bundled and accelerated from 30 keV to 1.5MeV its first ions served by the source and the low energy transmission line (LEBT). These were short pulses of 200 microseconds with a peak intensity that reached the nominal 4 mA expected for the MYRRHA project. In addition, the first measurements allow an estimate of a transmission of 95%. Now scientists will be able to start a comprehensive measurement campaign on the instrument.

This RFQ is the result of a collaboration with the University of Frankfurt and the German manufacturer NTG, and of a significant participation of the IN2P3 in the field of beam modeling and the development of the regulation system (known as low level) RF fields (LLRF), in particular by the IJCLab teams. The addition of the RFQ thus completes the injector of the future linear accelerator, which will then be lengthened with radiofrequency accelerating cavities made of copper, then superconducting, responsible for accelerating protons at an energy of 100 MeV at first. The accelerator will be the centerpiece of the future research hybrid reactor (or ADS for Accelerator Driven system), under construction in Mol in Belgium under the aegis of SCK ● CEN. This project will be used in particular to study the transmutation of certain nuclear waste.

2020-09-23 11:10