Beam Stops
A beam stop is an essential component of an accelerator system designed to safely absorb the energy of a particle or photon beam, essentially stopping it by intercepting the beam and preventing it from reaching other components or areas where it could cause damage or harm. Beam stops, also known as beam dumps, protect equipment and personnel by effectively "dumping" the beam energy into a designated area. Beam stops are used in particle accelerators, X-ray machines, and laser systems—anywhere high-energy beams need to be safely terminated.
Important design considerations for a beam stop include the following:
Material selection: The material used in a beam stop must be able to effectively absorb the high energy of the beam without overheating or degrading rapidly.
Beam size and profile: The stop must be sized and shaped to match the expected beam size and distribution for optimal absorption.
Heat dissipation: Due to the energy deposited by the dumped beam, the beam stop must be designed to effectively dissipate heat and avoid damage.
Radiation: The design must account for radio-activation of the material, and an assessment of the required radiation shielding must be performed.
Xelera Research LLC has extensive experience building beam stops for particle beams up to 600 kW.
Air or water cooling are possible, depending on your preference.
The beam stops can be designed to be floating and isolated from the beamline in order to provide current monitoring.
Radiation shielding is optimized for size, weight, and cost, as much as possible.
Whatever your requirements, including if you need higher power, we will work with you to develop a custom a design to meet your needs. Contact us to learn more.
Example images from a 50 MeV, 1 uA electron beam shielded beam stop design