Speaker
Description
Cyclotrons for isotope production and proton therapy are becoming increasingly compact and widely used. The main trend is reducing size by increasing the magnetic field strength through superconductivity. I propose an alternative approach: instead of increasing the magnetic field, switch to a different scheme—raise the RF system frequency, making the system more compact. Additionally, by radically reducing ampere-turns in the coils, the coils can be made more compact and energy-efficient, without the need for superconductivity. As a result, the cyclotron becomes just as compact as superconducting models, but much cheaper and simpler.
As an example, an 18 MeV cyclotron with 3 sectors and 3 RF resonators at a harmonic number of 6 (145 MHz) is presented, along with a 230 MeV cyclotron with 4 sectors and 4 RF resonators at the same harmonic number and frequency. The weight and power consumption of these concepts are half that of conventional cyclotrons. A range of cyclotrons from 18 to 230 MeV is under development, sharing the same RF frequency and common components across the lineup.
