Novel auto-startup technology for two cavities of a medical accelerator with one RF source

At Ibaraki Neutron Medical Research Center, an 8-MeV proton linear accelerator is being developed for iBNCT (Ibaraki - Boron Neutron Capture Therapy), with the aim of achieving the highest possible performance at a low cost. In this accelerator, there are two RF cavities driven by only one high-power klystron as the RF source. A digital low-level RF system has been successfully implemented for the iBNCT accelerator, with very good RF field regulation. An effective multipurpose and smart tuner controller was also developed. Finally, a novel auto-startup technology for two cavities with one RF source was successfully developed. The time required for the RF startup process is greatly reduced from the conventional time of 30 min, to less than 1 min. The good stability and fast response achieved by using this technology make it suitable for the medical use of iBNCT accelerators. This technology will be extremely useful in the development of similar accelerators.