Comparison of the design and costs of induction linac drivers for inertial fusion using ions of differing mass

An induction linear accelerator that produces an energetic (5- to 20-GeV) beam of heavy (130- to 238-amu) ions is a prime candidate as a driver for inertial fusion. The required accelerator output parameters for an ion species can be determined from the target requirements for a given fusion energy yield. The cost and efficiency of various accelerator configurations to produce the required output parameters can be determined to aid in the selection of the lowest cost accelerator design option. In this study, we compare the cost of various accelerator configurations that will produce various target yields and fusion powers using 133Cs ions with those using 200Hg ions, and report extensively on some 600-MJ target yield results. It is concluded that very large cost reductions can be made on heavy-ion induction linac drivers for inertial fusion. These reductions are possible by increasing the charge state, increasing the undepressed tune, and optimizing the number of beamlets