KONUS dynamics for a 750 MHz IH-based injector

Abstract In response to the increasing demand for hadron therapy facilities, significant efforts have been directed toward enhancing the performance of high-gradient and high-transmission injectors for light ion beams. For carbon ion irradiations, which offer greater radiobiological efficiency in tumor treatment, recent research has focused on developing high-production sources of fully stripped C $$^{6+}$$ 6 + ions and highly compact, high-frequency RFQ cavities. This study explores the design possibilities of a carbon ion acceleration section using 750 MHz Interdigital H-mode Drift Tube Linacs (IH-DTLs) as a high-efficiency solution for accelerating ions in the 5–10 MeV per nucleon energy range. A particle-tracking routine based on the TRAVEL code was developed to design the acceleration line through a tailored KONUS-type configuration. Three design solutions were proposed and compared, exploring different alternatives regarding the use of a MEBT to match the output beam phase space of the RFQ to the optics of the line, as well as varying considerations for magnetic systems to focus the beam. Additionally, the compatibility of the proposed solutions with the existing design of the carbon ion bent-linac for hadron therapy was assessed.