A Variable-Energy CW Compact Accelerator for Ion Cancer Therapy

Abstract

This paper reports on the conclusions of a 2013 Joint DOE/NCI Workshop, and translates clinical accelerator facility requirements into accelerator and beam-delivery technical specifications. Available or feasible accelerator technologies are compared, including a new concept for a compact, CW, and variable energy light ion accelerator currently under development. This new light ion accelerator is based on advances in non-scaling Fixed-Field Alternating gradient (FFAG) accelerator design. The new design concepts combine isochronous orbits with long (up to 4m) straight sections in a compact racetrack format allowing inner circulating orbits to be energy selected for low-loss, CW extraction, effectively eliminating the high-loss energy degrader in conventional CW cyclotron designs.