Enhancement of heat removal using concave liquid metal targets for high-power accelerators

The need is increasing for development of high-power targets and beam dump areas for the production of intense beams of secondary particles. The severe constraints arising from a megawatt beam deposited on targets and absorbers call for nontrivial procedures to dilute the beam. This study describes the development of targets and absorbers and the advantages of using flowing liquid metal in concave channels first proposed by IFMIF to raise the liquid metal boiling point by increasing the pressure in liquid supported by a centrifugal force. Such flow with a back-wall is subject to Taylor-Couette instability. The instability can play a positive role of increasing the heat transfer from the hottest region in the target/absorber to the back-wall cooled by water. Results of theoretical analysis and numerical modeling of both targets and dump areas for the IFMIF, ILC, and RIA facilities are presented.