New high power 200 MHz RF system for the LANSCE drift tube linac

The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) linac provides an 800 MeV direct H+ proton beam, and injects H- to the upgraded proton storage ring for charge accumulation for the Short Pulse Spallation Source. Accelerating these interlaced beams requires high average power from the 201.25 MHz drift tube linac (DTL) RF system. Three power amplifiers have operated at up to three Megawatts with 12% duty factor. The total number of electron power tubes in the RF amplifiers and their modulators has been reduced from fifty-two to twenty-four. The plant continues to utilize the original design of a tetrode driving a super power triode. Further increases in the linac duty factor are limited, in part, by the maximum dissipation ratings of the triodes. A description of the system modifications proposed to overcome these limitations includes new power amplifiers using low-level RF modulation for tank field control. The first high power Diacrode reg-sign is being delivered and a new amplifier cavity is being designed. With only eight power tubes, the new system will deliver both peak power and high duty factor, with lower mains power and cooling requirements. The remaining components needed for the new RF system will be discussed