Shielding of proton accelerators

Area of Science:

• Accelerator Physics
• Radiation Shielding
• Computational Physics

Background:

• Proton accelerators require robust shielding to mitigate radiation exposure.
• Complex geometries necessitate advanced simulation techniques for accurate shielding calculations.
• Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are powerful but computationally intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a hybrid analytical-MC approach for proton accelerator shielding.
• To demonstrate the utility of this method for initial shielding estimations.
• To compare the hybrid method's accuracy against full MC simulations.

Main Methods:

• Development of a hybrid model combining analytical and MC techniques.
• Utilizing MC simulations for source terms and attenuation data under generic conditions.
• Employing a point-source line-of-sight model within the hybrid approach.
• Application to shielding calculations for CERN Superconducting Proton Linac (SPL) at 2 and 3.5 GeV.

Main Results:

• The hybrid method provides a valuable first estimate for shielding.
• Results from the hybrid approach show good agreement with full MC simulations.
• The method was successfully applied to shielding designs for the CERN SPL.

Conclusions:

• The hybrid analytical-MC method is an efficient tool for preliminary shielding assessments.
• This approach can reduce the computational burden compared to full MC simulations.
• It offers a practical balance between accuracy and computational cost in accelerator shielding.