Modeling and Prototyping of a Flux Concentrator for Positron Capture

An adiabatic matching device (AMD) generates a tapered high-strength magnetic field to capture positrons emitted from a positron target to a downstream accelerating structure. The AMD is a key component of a positron source and represents a technical challenge. The International Linear Collider collaboration is proposing to employ a pulsed, normal-conducting, flux-concentrator to generate a 5 Tesla initial magnetic field. The flux-concentrator structure itself and the interactions between the flux-concentrator and the external power supply circuits give rise to a nontrivial system. In this paper, we present a recently developed equivalent circuit model for a flux concentrator, along with the characteristics of a prototype fabricated for validating the model. Using the model, we can obtain the transient response of the pulsed magnetic field and the field profile. Calculations based on the model and the results of measurements made on the prototype are in good agreement.