Speaker
Description
Superconducting linacs have traditionally required large cryogenic infrastructures, while compact accelerators relied on normal-conducting technology. This divide is narrowing. At Fermilab’s IARC, Nb₃Sn-coated cavities operating near 4 K, combined with cryocooler-based conduction cooling and solid-state RF power, enable compact SRF linacs for high-duty-factor operation outside traditional facilities. Systems under construction target environmental remediation and medical device sterilization at approximately 10 MeV, where efficiency and life-cycle cost are critical. These machines use multi-cell elliptical cavities at 650 MHz and 1.3 GHz, operating at 7–10 MV/m under conduction cooling with industrial cryocoolers. Eliminating liquid-helium plants shifts SRF from facility-scale installations to application-oriented platforms, thereby extending superconducting technology into regimes that have not been economically viable.
Funding Agency
US Department of Energy
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