Adaption of the PROBE Cavity Design for Linear Proton Therapy Accelerators

在之前成功的PROBE授予期间，Cockcroft研究所设计并制造了一个3 GHz的侧耦合结构，适合于将临床回旋加速器质子束的能量从250 MeV提高到更高。PROBE结构预计将提供世界领先的梯度大于50 MV/m，并使用一种专利的构造方法，允许有效的腔体内部成形。当用于基于直线加速器的质子治疗系统时，高梯度3 GHz腔体也很有意义。固有的较小的直线加速器发射度将允许较小的虹膜孔径，这可以使用先前博士项目中在PROBE上已经证明的相同方法提供更大的梯度-可能超过60 MV/m。然而，这样的空腔尚未被设计。这个博士项目将与感兴趣的工业合作伙伴合作，进行这种腔体的详细设计。我们将使用单独的资金建造一个原型。我们已经进行了与以前的腔体相当的设计和制造，所以我们相信我们知道挑战和陷阱，并从以前的项目中学到了很多东西。因此，我们判断该项目取得成功的可能性很大。我们也可以自信地计划博士的工作。

During the previous successful PROBE grant the Cockcroft Institute designed and manufactured a 3 GHz side-coupled structure suitable for boosting the energy of a clinical cyclotron proton beam from 250 MeV upwards. The PROBE structure is predicted to deliver a world-leading gradient greater than 50 MV/m, and uses a patented method of construction that allows effective interior shaping of the cavity.A high-gradient 3 GHz cavity is also of interest when used in a linac-based proton therapy system. The inherently smaller linac emittance would allow a smaller iris aperture and this could deliver a larger gradient using the same methods already demonstrated on PROBE in a previous PhD project - potentially over 60 MV/m. However, such a cavity has not yet been designed. This PhD project would carry out the detailed design of such a cavity in partnership with an interested industrial partner. We would construct a prototype using separate funding.We have already carried out the equivalent design and manufacture of a previous cavity, so we are confident we know the challenges and pitfalls and have learnt a great deal from the previous project. We therefore judge the project has a high likelihood of obtaining a successful outcome. We can also confidently plan for the work of the PhD.