The New 5 MeV Electrostatic Ion Accelerator at the Central Research Institute for Physics, Budapest, Hungary

The new 5 MeV electrostatic ion accelerator, projected, built, and tested at the Central Research Institute for Physics in Budapest, with some necessary aid from Hungarian industry /pressure vessel etc./ is described. The accelerator's main specifications are detailed and an account is given of the experiences with glass and porcelain accelerating tubes. By careful design, the intensity of radiation in the range of 4-5 MV has been reduced by 2-3 orders of magnitude. Without an ion beam there was only 3-5 times the intensity of the natural radiation background /i.e. less than 0.5 mR/h/ on the outer surface of the generator vessel when operated at 4-5 MV. The radiation level with the accelerated ion beam is accordingly also very low. During a 7-month period in 1970 the generator ran for 3,250 hours of measurements in nuclear physics.