High power variable couplers for ladder and spoke type resonators

Superconducting RF structures such as spoke resonators have been developed which will accelerate very low velocity ions. This opens up the possibility for the use of these resonators in high power proton accelerators at energies as low as the output energies of typical RFQs. Most similar resonators have been used for the acceleration of ions requiring only low RF power input. In new applications such as for the Accelerator Transmutation of Nuclear Wastes (ATW) and Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT), higher RF power will be required because of the larger beam currents. This paper discusses some higher power variable coupler concepts that could be used with these structures.