Protons and Neutrons for Testing at LBNL

Application/instrumentation:
Use of protons and neutrons for testing of microelectronics, optical components and nanostructures for advanced accelerators, ground and space applications, and bulk material damage.
Developed at:
88-inch Cyclotron, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Developed in:
1998-2006/2007
Result of NP research:
Basic NP
Application currently being supported by:
DOD (US Air Force, NRO), DOE (88-Inch Cyclotron Operations)
Impact/benefit to spin-off field:
This work is important for commercial and national security research satellites, spacecraft, ground-based electronics in sensitive server farms as well as at high-flux accelerators and new nanotechnology applications.


Moderate to high intensity protons and neutrons produced by cyclotrons such as the 88-Inch Cyclotron are used for radiation effects studies in a wide variety of applications, for example: a) damage studies of new materials used for superconducting magnets in the next generation of accelerators; b) damage of optical components, microelectronics and detectors to be used in space or accelerator applications, and c) rare but damaging single event effects in memory chips for ground-based computer centers and server farms.