DC proton beam measurements in a single-solenoid low-energy beam transport system

High current, CW proton accelerators are being considered for a number of applications including disposition of nuclear wastes, reduction of fissionable nuclear material inventories, safe production of critical nuclear materials, and energy production. All these applications require the development of high current, reliable, hydrogen ion injectors. In 1986, a program using CW RFQ technology was undertaken at CRL in collaboration with LANL and was continued there until 1993. During this time, an accelerator was built which produced 600 keV, 75 mA and 1,250 keV, 55 mA CW proton beams. The present program at Los Alamos using this accelerator is aimed at continuing the CRL work to demonstrate long-term reliability. In the present work, the authors are seeking to determine the optimal match to and the current limit of the 1,250-keV RFQ. This paper discusses the characterization of the 50 keV beams at the exit of the single-solenoid LEBT and presents both the experimental measurements and the beam simulations done to model this system.