Daniel Winklehner (MIT): The cyclotron lives on! Novel, compact cyclotrons enabling neutrino science and medical advances
Presenting...
Recording: https://youtu.be/VrYdrej8yZs
Abstract
Originally conceived to meet the needs of the Isotope Decay-At-Rest neutrino experiment IsoDAR, the modular design of the HCHC (High Current H2+ Cyclotron) cyclotron family allows the fabrication of cost-effective, compact cyclotrons from 1.5 MeV/amu up to 60 MeV/amu. These machines will deliver a cw beam current of 10 mA if proven. This x10 increase in current over commercial cyclotrons is possible due to three concepts: Accelerating H2+, injecting through an RFQ embedded axially in the cyclotron yoke, and vortex motion (a collective beam effect). We have tested our designs with high-fidelity PIC simulations, optimized the RFQ using machine learning and are building the first 1.5 MeV/amu prototype. Beyond neutrino physics, the HCHC cyclotrons can be applied in medical isotope production and fusion-relevant material testing.
Speaker Bio
Daniel Winklehner was born and raised in Vienna, where he studied applied physics at the University of Technology. After a one-year visit at LBNL working at the 88” Cyclotron with the VENUS ion source, he joined MSU where he graduated with a PhD in 2013, and then MIT as a postdoctoral associate. In 2018 he became a research scientist at MIT and the Co-spokesperson of the IsoDAR project. For his work on compact cyclotrons, Winklehner recently received the Hogil Kim Prize at the 2022 IPAC conference and the 2022 APS DPF Instrumentation Early Career Award.