Developments for 230 MeV superconducting cyclotrons for proton therapy and proton irradiation

Abstract There are very strong demands for mid-energy proton machine in recent years due to the surging cancer patients and fast progress of the space science in China. For the applications of proton therapy and proton irradiation, the energy range of proton beam is usually from 200 MeV to 250 MeV, or even higher for astronavigation. Based on the R&D starting from 2009, a construction project of a 230 MeV superconducting cyclotron (CYCIAE-230) has been launched recently at China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE). It was started in Jan 2015, for the program of proton therapy and space science launched by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). In this paper, the designs for the superconducting (SC) cyclotron and its key components, including the main magnet, SC coils, internal ion source and central region, extraction system, etc, and the construction progress of the machine CYCIAE-230 will be presented.