A new Laboratory which will be specialized in the development of electron accelerators and will take part in their low-volume production is organized based on SINP. This project is developed within the frames of state-private partnership according to RF Government resolution N 217. Lomonosov Moscow State University will take part in the foundation of the Laboratory together with a private company "Scantronic Systems".
As Professor, DSc. Vasily Shvedunov (a Head of the Laboratory of electron beams of the SINP Department of Electromagnetic Processes and Atomic Nuclei Interactions) told us: "Field of application of electron accelerators is essentially wide, they are used in medicine, technological industrial processes, sterilization equipment, inspecting and screening equipment, non-destructive testing".
Then he told us, that key staff will include scientists and engineers of SINP Laboratory of electron beams who have an experience of development of electron accelerators of different types. Mean age of the staff is about 35 years. Besides, the Laboratory will join engineers and designers from other organizations who have experience in the development of electrovacuum equipment.
The first step in the field of development of electron accelecrators was made in SINP MSU in 1983 with a project of continuous operation electron accelerator - slotted microtron for 175 MeV and mean beam current of 100 microA. The accelerator was intended for the studies of mechanism of interactions of electromagnetic emission and atomic nuclei.
In 1992 a Laboratory of electron beams was founded in SINP. The scientists of the Laboratory continued operation of electron accelerator with development of a number of linear electron accelerators of continuous operation with energies from 0.5 up to 2.1 MeV and beam's power up to 60 kW. Impulse slotted microtrones with energy of 35, 55 and 70 MeV were developed in cooperation with scientists of other scientific organizations. Slotted microtrons for energy of 35 and 70 MeV are characterized with wide application of rare-earth magnetic material for the development of magnetic systems.
2003 became a make-of-break year for the Laboratory, because in cooperaton with Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Scentific and Production Enterprise "Torium" the scientists started development of a powerful electron accelerator for 10 MeV for sterilization and technological processes. Being put into operation in 2007 as an operating prototype this accelerator joined the ranks of SINP accelerators and expanded the field of the scientific and applied projects.
Operating prototype of a linear electron accelerator for 10 MeV
Linear accelerator for radiographic analysis became the first industrially-used sample, developed with participation of the scientists of SINP Laboratory of electron beams. From April 2012 this accelerator is operated at one of Rosatom enterprises in order to control joint welds of nuclear reactors' elements. The accelerator provides a number of advantages in comparison with Russian and foreign analogous. Its energy and dose power can be varied within wide ranges: 3-8 MeV and 1-10 Gr/min, correspondingly. Operational life of the accelerator is significantly prolonged due to using of klystron tube as SHF-source and solid-state modulator for its power supply. Due to unsoldered design of accelerating structure and up-to-date system of operating organization control there is no need to keep specialsts for service accelerator. The accelerator has small size and weight and at the same time contains effective radiation protection which decreases spurious radiation level by a factor of 10 thousands.
Accelerator for radiographic analysis at the enterprise
In 2012 in cooperation with "Scantronic Systems" Company an accelerator with pulse-by-pulse energy wwitching for inspecting and screening complex was developed and passed acceptance delivery tests. During the tests due to high beam energy stability and characteristics of detection and image processing system the specialists of "Scantronic Systems" have shown an opportunity for materials adentification with resolution by atomic number close to one. Currently the inspectng and screening complex is being mounted at RF boundary at Far East.
As Vasily Shvedunov noted: "Namely successfull cooperation with "Scantronic Systems" Company provided a basis for foundation of a joint enterprise "MSU Laboratory of electron accelerators"".
Accelerator with pulse-by-pulse energy switching for inspecting and screening complex
Currently SINP scientists has a number of new projects at the varying stage of development. Among them ther are a compact linear accelerator of continuous operation for 1 MeV beam's power of 25 kW, an electron accelerator for intraoperational beam therapy, being developed in cooperation with Catalonian Polytechnical University, a project of laser-electron generator of mono-chromatic X-ray with overtuned energy - in cooperation with Lebedev Physics Institute.
"We hope, that cooperation with "Scantronic Systems" Company within the frames of the organized MSU Laboratory of electron accelerators will help to finish these projects and to apply the products into practice", - Vasily Shvedunov noted.