Finite element thermal study of the Linac4 plasma generator

The temperature distribution and heat flow at equilibrium of the plasma generator of the rf-powered noncesiated Linac4 H(-) ion source have been studied with a finite element model. It is shown that the equilibrium temperatures obtained in the Linac4 nominal operation mode (100 kW rf power, 2 Hz repetition rate, and 0.4 ms pulse duration) are within material specifications except for the magnet cage, where a redesign may be necessary. To assess the upgrade of the Linac4 source for operation in the high-power operation mode of the Superconducting Proton Linac (SPL), an extrapolation of the heat load toward 100 kW rf power, 50 Hz repetition rate, and 0.4 ms pulse duration has been performed. The results indicate that a significant improvement of the source cooling is required to allow for operation in the high-power mode of SPL.