Vacuum Insulated Tandem Accelerator VITA and Its Applications

Abstract

One of the charged-particle accelerators with relatively low energy and relatively high current is the vacuum insulated tandem accelerator. The work notes the originality of the accelerator design and presents the results of the research. It was shown that replacing ceramic insulators with a smooth side surface with insulators with a corrugated outer surface ensured the required voltage of 1.15 MV without breakdowns. The required current of 10 mA was obtained by upgrading the facility, which followed the experimental determination of the effect of space charge on the transport of ions and significant suppression of the flow of secondary charged particles. The measured phase portraits of a beam of negative hydrogen ions and a beam of protons injected into the accelerator are presented. It is noted that the facility is primarily used for the development of boron-neutron capture therapy techniques for malignant tumors, for radiation testing and modification of promising materials with a neutron flux, for measuring the cross section and yield of nuclear reactions, and for other applications.