Slow positron target concepts for the Advanced Photon Source (APS) linear accelerator

The APS linear accelerator (linac) system consists of a 200-MeV, 2856-MHz S-band electron linac, followed by a 450-Mev positron linac. The linac is available for other uses upon completion of the storage ring injection cycle. Nominal linac beam power is 480 W but the power can be increased substantially, making it suitable for production of slow positrons. Simulation studies for the design of a slow-positron target-moderator system that is optimized for operation with the APS linac are presented. Results of simulations of various target configurations indicate that a suitably designed multilayer target can result in a higher positron yield than a single-block target. Use of an integrated, multilayer target moderator is suggested. Some possibilities for extracting slow positrons between target layers by means of electromagnetic fields are discussed. First results from recent accelerator studies aimed at increasing the linac beam power are also presented