Klystron Modulators for IFIC – Valencia

Jema has recently commissioned two klystron modulators to the IFIC institute, located in Valencia –Spain-, which is hosting a new High-Gradient (HG) Radio Frequency (RF) laboratory. The aim of this laboratory is to contribute in the development of High Gradient cavities necessary to improve the design of compact linear accelerators.

Compact linear accelerators are currently studied due to its promising medical applications. The cancer treatment with hadron and carbon-ion radiotherapy is now a reality, but cost and size reduction of the linear accelerators is a must for this technology to be successful. Shorter accelerator devices require higher gradient cavities to obtain higher energy gain per length unit.

The klystron modulators provided by Jema are part of the high-power RF system used to test the HG cavities.

The main characteristics of the modulators are:

 

Peak power	15 MW
Pulse length	5 µs
Rep. Rate	400 Hz
Mean power	30 kW

 

This project is particularly important as will bring IFIC the opportunity of testing elements and cavities that will make possible the compact accelerators of the future. For JEMA is the opening of a new market, as compact linear accelerators are used in medical applications, such as cancer treatment.