Superconducting RF Development at Nuclear Science Centre

A Superconducting Linac is being installed as a booster for the 15 UD Pelletron accelerator at Nuclear Science Centre (NSC). The accelerating structure for this linac is a Nb QWR cavity, designed and fabricated as a joint collaboration between NSC and ANL, USA. Initial cavities required for the first linac module were fabricated at ANL. For fabrication of cavities required for future modules a Superconducting Resonator Fabrication Facility has been set up at NSC. Three quarter wave resonator (QWR) cavities have been fabricated using the in-house facility. This facility has been used for repairs on the resonators which sprung leaks. Fabrication of fifteen resonators for the second and third linac modules is under progress. Eight resonators along with a superconducting solenoid has been installed in the first linac cryostat and tested for energy gain with a pulsed beam of 90 MeV Si from the Pelletron. Acceleration of the ions to 96 MeV was measured downstream and beam transmission through the linac was measured to be ∼ 100%.