Journal of the Korean Physical Society, Vol. 59, No. 2, August 2011, pp.

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Magnet Design of 4 MeV Cyclotron for the BNCT

H. W. Kim, B. N. Lee, S. H. Lee, H. J. Choi, Y. S. Lee, H. S. Song and T. Zhou
School of Information & Communication Engineering,
SungKyunKwan University, Suwon 440-746, Korea

Kh M. Gad, Y. H. Yeon and J. H. Oh

WCU Department of Energy Science, SungKyunKwan University, Suwon 440-746, Korea

K. H. Park, S. H. Shin and M. H. Yoon

Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, POSTECH , Pohang, 790-784, Korea

J. S. Chai
School of Information & Communication Engineering,
SungKyunKwan University, Suwon 440-746, Korea and
WCU Department of Energy Science, SungKyunKwan University, Suwon 440-746, Korea
(Received 26 April 2010)
Research concern about neutron radiography has been increasing in Korea since 2001. Neutron
radiography can help for the weakness of X-ray image. Neutron radiography can be used in not
only non-destructive inspection but also basic science research. For those reasons more compact
mono-energetic neutron source is needed. The 4 MeV deuteron cyclotron can be a candidate for the
production of mono-energetic neutrons. In this paper optimal 4 MeV deuteron cyclotron magnet
design is shown for neutron generation by d(d, n)He3 reaction. All field simulations have been
performed using POSSION and OPERA-3D (TOSCA) for magnet system design. The required
beam current is 1 mA, 4 MeV. The first purpose of this cyclotron is to generate fast neutrons
with deuterium gas target. The second purpose of this cyclotron is material science and nuclear
technology research in biology, physics and chemistry. Also it will be used in industries including
neutron radiography.
PACS numbers: 29.20.Hm, 29.25.Dz
Keywords: Cyclotron, Deuteron, Neutron, Fast neutron radiography
DOI: 10.3938/jkps.59.2029

I. INTRODUCTION
Since the development of PET cyclotron (2002) in Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), various researches related to cyclotrons development have been done in Korea. Recently small neutron source is needed in Korea for neutron radiography
that is one of the best alternative methods for non- destructive inspection and also many other scientific uses.
For those reasons studying of low energy cyclotrons is
needed and 4 MeV deuteron (D ) cyclotron can be a
source of neutron by d(d, n)He3 reaction.
This paper mainly explains an optimization of 4 MeV
D cyclotron magnet. Modelling and shimming was processed under computer simulation environment. Firstly
two dimensional magnetic field calculation of the main
magnet had been done using POISSON [1], precise calculations had been performed by OPERA-3D TOSCA
E-mail:

jscahi@skku.edu

[2]. To accelerate calculations batch file was developed

which can generate model and mesh automatically. The
own-made beam dynamics program OPTICY [3] is used
for isochronous field matching.
The main magnet of 4 MeV D cyclotron has one hole
at each valley (4 holes total), those holes will be used
for other subsystem devices - vacuum pumps and RF
system [4]. A summary of 4 MeV D cyclotron magnet
parameters are shown in Table 1. The quarter cross
section view of the designed magnet is shown in Fig. 1.
II. MAGNET DESIGN
1. Main Magnet Design

The strategy of 4 MeV D cyclotron magnet design

was based on some basic calculations to decide a proper
magnet pole radius, followed by 2D magnetic field analysis using POISSON [1] , then a 3D magnetic field calculations was carried out using OPERA-3D TOSCA solver

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Journal of the Korean Physical Society, Vol. 59, No. 2, August 2011

Table 1. Parameters of 4 MeV deuteron cyclotron magnet.

Parameters
Central field
Pole radius
Extraction radius
Number of sectors
Hill / Valley gap
Hill angle
B-field (min., max.)

Values
1.36 T (41.6 MHz)
0.35 m
0.30 m
4
0.04 / 0.40 m
47.2
4.65, 1.85 T
Fig. 3. (Color online) Magnetic field lines of the center
cross-section of the hill computed by POISSON.

Fig. 1. (Color online) Quarter cross-section view of the

designed 4 MeV D cyclotron magnet.

[2]. Lastly own-made program OPTICY [3] was used for

the isochronous field matching. Figure 2 shows the steps
of magnet design and Fig. 3 shows the 2D magnetic field
lines of cross section of the hill. It is computed by POISSON SUPERFISH.
To accelerate the D beam to 4 MeV, 0.41 Tm rigidity

Fig. 4. (Color online) Available shim design for 4 MeV

D cyclotron magnet hill.

magnet is needed and the central region magnetic field

has been set to 1.36 T. From the decision of central region magnetic field, extraction radius and RF frequency
was set to 0.3 m and 41.6 MHz.
The material of magnet and yoke is set to be low carbon steel AISI 1010 for preventing saturation with high
magnetic flux. The AISI 1010 low carbon steel is saturated at 2.4 T.
2. Shimming

The isochronous average magnetic field for cyclotrons

gradually increases with radius of magnet pole [5].
Biso (r) = (r) Bc = (1 + T /E0) Bc

Fig. 2. (Color online) Process steps of 4 MeV D cyclotron

magnet design.

(1)

For achieving isochronous magnetic field, sectors of the

main magnet were shimmed. An old trick to reach the
isochronous field is to change the hill-valley angle ratio
along the pole radius.
For shimming, 20 magnet shim models were considered; Fig. 4 shows the available shim design. The available magnet shim model has 11 modifiable points and
each point has specific location to make the isochronous
field. To increase the magnetic flux at the outer radius
part of the hill, tapering method was used at outer part
of the hill [6].
In shimming process, modelling, meshing, plotting
and isochronous field matching was automatically done
by own-made batch program and OPTICY [3]. The only

Magnet Design of 4 MeV Cyclotron for the BNCT H. W. Kim et al.

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typical to the ideal isochronous field with less than 25

Gauss error bound.
3. Beam Tracking

Fig. 5. (Color online) Average magnetic field graph of

designed magnet with idle isochronous field graph.

The beam tracking simulation has been done by

OPERA-3D Post-Processor [2]. In this simulation, space
charge was not considered and only beam trajectories on
the middle of the hill gap were plotted. Figure 6 shows
the magnetic field map on middle of the hill gap. The
maximum value of the magnetic field on mid-gap of the
hill is 1.85 T and the minimum value is 4.65 T.
The trajectories of beam from 0.5 MeV to 4 MeV are
plotted in Fig. 7 with 0.5 MeV increment. It shows the
proper beam trajectories on the mid-gap of the hill. Each
trajectory was calculated by OPERA-3D Post-Processor
[2] firstly and those data was used in plotting.
III. CONCLUSION
The design study of a 4 MeV D cyclotron magnet has
been carried out. Designed magnet shows isochronous
field at high precision. The OPTICY [3] will be modified
to be suitable for calculation of beam dynamics inside
cyclotron, another CAD program will be used for manufacturing of main magnet and side shims. It is expected
that the full analysis and manufacturing of 4 MeV D
cyclotron magnet will be finished in September, 2010.

Fig. 6. (Color online) Magnetic field map on the mid-gap

of the hill.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported by WCU (World Class
University) program through the National Research
Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (R31-2008-000-100290) and also supported by Nuclear R & D program
through the National Research Foundation of Korea
funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2010-0025952).
REFERENCES

Fig. 7. (Color online) Equilibrium orbits on the mid-gap

of the hill from 0.5 MeV to 4 MeV.

work by hand was shim design with OPERA-3D Modeller [2].

Comprehensive calculations led to isochronous field,
Fig. 5 shows the ideal isochronous field and the designed
field. Designed field increases gradually with radius

[1] Users Guide for the POISSON/SUPERFISH Group

of Codes LA-UR-87-115, LosAlamos Accelerator Code
Group.
[2] Cobham, Vector Fields Ltd, UK.
[3] S. H. Shin, Pohang Accelerator Lab., POSTECH, Pohang, Korea, (2007).
[4] I. S. Jung, EPAC06 (2006).
[5] B. Qin et al., PAC07 (Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA).
[6] J. T. Tanabe, Iron Dominated Electromagnet Design
(World Scientific).