Power handling capability of water cooled cw linac structures

Abstract To determine the ultimate cw power handling capability of room temperature linac structures under different cooling conditions, a prototype 2450 MHz on-axis coupled linac structure has been operated at power levels up to 210 kW/m corresponding to an average energy gradient of 3.5 MeV/m. Mechanical behaviour and changes in the rf parameters during high power operation are described and compared with results from computer modeling of thermal stresses.