Soreq NRC, Yavne
The SARAF accelerator is designed to accelerate both deuteron and proton beams up to 40 MeV 2mA. Phase I of SARAF consists of a 4-rod RFQ (1.5 MeV/u) and a prototype superconducting module (PSM) housing 6 half-wave resonators (HWR) and 3 superconducting solenoids (4-5 MeV). Beam dynamics TRACK simulation for a proton and a deuteron beam, tailored to the present available field amplitude at each cavity were used to evaluate and tune the linac. The simulation is a key factor to reach a stable high intensity CW beam. The ions energy spectra were measured using the Rutherford scattering technique. This technique is used to tune the cavities to the desired amplitude and phase. The measured energy gain and the energy spread at the RFQ exit and along the PSM were in good agreement with the beam dynamics simulations. Following field flatness modification at the last section of the 4-rod RFQ the transmission curve through the RFQ and the PSM as function of the electrode voltage is similar to the simulations. A HWR was used as a buncher and the measured beam energy spread as function of the bunching voltage was used to qualitatively estimate the longitudinal emittance.
