Acceleration tests of a 3GHz proton linear accelerator (LIBO) for hadrontherapy

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Vol. 681; pp. 10 - 15
• Main Authors: De Martinis, C., Giove, D., Amaldi, U., Berra, P., Crandall, K., Mauri, M., Weiss, M., Zennaro, R., Rosso, E., Szeless, B., Vretenar, M., Masullo, M.R., Vaccaro, V., Calabretta, L., Rovelli, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 21-07-2012
• Subjects: Booster; Cyclinac; Cyclotron; Linac; Proton therapy; Linac; Cyclotron; Proton therapy; Cyclinac; Booster
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2012.04.017

This paper describes the acceleration tests performed at the Catania LNS Laboratory on a 3GHz linac module of the side coupled type, which boosts the proton energy of a beam extracted from a cyclotron from 62 to 72MeV. The output proton energy was measured with two devices: a NaI(Tl) crystal and a bending magnet. The experimental spectra are in good agreement with the calculated ones. From their shape it is obtained that (18±3.0)% of the transmitted protons fall in a ±2MeV interval centered around 72MeV. This result is in good agreement with the 20% value derived from the simulation of the acceleration process. The measured energy of the accelerated protons was used to check that the shunt impedance of the structure is equal to the computed one within 3%. This was the first time that a 3GHz structure has been used to accelerate protons, and the results of the tests have demonstrated that a high frequency linac can be used as a cyclotron booster.