rf design studies on the 750 MHz radio frequency quadrupole linac for proton-induced x-ray emission analysis

The proton-induced x-ray emission (PIXE) is the most commonly used ion beam analysis technique. It allows for nondestructive quantitative elemental characterization and is used in a variety of fields, particularly for the diagnosis of cultural heritage artwork. To provide mobile access to PIXE, a compact transportable radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) linac has been designed and is being built at CERN. The PIXE RFQ has a length of only one meter and accelerates a proton beam to an energy of 2 MeV. This paper covers various rf design studies for the RFQ operating at 750 MHz. We show simulation results regarding cavity, equipment, and coupler geometry. Thermomechanical and beam dynamics studies are presented as well. The paper concludes with a conceptual study on dipole mode detuning by means of length adjustment.