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*STTR Project:  Hydrogen Cryostat for Muon Beam Cooling--MUONS, Inc., 552 N. Batavia Avenue, Batavia, IL  60510-1274; 757-870-6943               

Dr. Rolland P. Johnson, Principal Investigator, roljohn@aol.com

Dr. Rolland P. Johnson, Business Official, roljohn@aol.com

DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-04ER86191

Amount:  $100,000

Research Institution

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Batavia, IL

Ionization cooling, a method for shrinking the size of a muon beam, is needed for muon colliders and neutrino factories, two options for future High Energy Physics facilities.   Hydrogen is needed in these applications for several reasons, but a safe and efficient containment cryostat is a prerequisite for its use.  This project will develop a single hydrogen system to provide ionization energy loss for muon beam cooling, breakdown suppression for pressurized high-gradient RF cavities, and refrigeration for superconducting magnets and cold RF cavities.  A cryostat and refrigeration system will be designed, prototyped, and tested that circulates hydrogen through magnetic coils, RF cavities, and the absorber volume to achieve a safe, robust means to enable exceptionally bright muon beams.  Phase I will develop a baseline conceptual design of a hydrogen-liquefier cryostat for a muon ionization-cooling channel, which includes the gaseous hydrogen absorber, high-gradient pressurized RF cavities, and high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet coils.  A mathematical model of the cryostat will be developed to allow the optimization of the cryostat, liquefier, and other channel parameters.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the applicant:  Cooling and accelerating muon beams using a single hydrogen system to refrigerate HTS (high temperature superconducting) focusing magnets, pressurized high-gradient RF cavities, and energy absorber could help make neutrino factories affordable and muon colliders a compelling option for the energy frontier.  The technology also likely could impact the future world hydrogen economy because it involves innovative uses of hydrogen and its associated safety concerns under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure.