Niobium Quarter-Wave Resonator Development for the Rare Isotope Accelerator

Two superconducting quarter-wave resonator (QWR) prototypes have been fabricated and tested. They operate at 80.5 MHz and 161 MHz and are optimised for beta = 0.085 and beta = 0.16, respectively. The prototypes are simplified versions without integrated helium vessels. In the first RF tests, the beta = 0.085 QWR reached a peak surface electric field (Ep) in excess of 30 MV/m, with an intrinsic quality factor (Q0) in excess of 1E9 at the design field of Ep = 20 MV/m. The beta = 0.16 QWR reached Ep = 20 MV/m with Q0 = 2.5E9. It is suspected that the performance of the latter cavity can be improved via better cooling of the Nb tuning plate and a better RF contact between the plate and the outer conductor.