Superconducting accelerators for nuclear waste transmutation

High intensity proton accelerators, with energies in excess of 1 GeV, have been proposed for nuclear waste transmutation applications. The large neutron flux, obtained by the spallation target, further multiplied in a subcritical reactor, could open the possibility of closing the fuel cycle in nuclear energy production. This new accelerator application asks for high overall plug efficiency and reliability, together with low particle losses for hands-on maintenance. Superconducting RF technology seems to be the best solution above an energy of 100-200 MeV, for the design of a cost effective machine in terms of both capital and operational costs. In this paper we review the design of the INFN/ENEA TRASCO high-energy accelerator.