Development and Application of Compact High-current Proton Cyclotron at China Institute of Atomic Energy

Since the establishment of the first cyclotron in China in 1958, the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE) has developed a series of high-current cyclotron devices, playing a crucial role in the development of nuclear science disciplines and applications of nuclear technology in China. In 1996, CIAE completed China’s first dedicated 30 MeV/350 μA high-current proton cyclotron for medical isotope production. In 2014, it constructed the world’s largest compact 100 MeV/520 μA high-current proton cyclotron large-scale scientific facility. In 2021, CIAE independently developed China’s first 14 MeV high-current proton cyclotron with an extraction current exceeding 1 mA. The completion of the 14 MeV/1 mA high-current proton accelerator laid the foundation for the application of neutron source based on miniaturized high-current proton cyclotron in China. Based on the 14 MeV high-current proton cyclotron, CIAE successively established China’s first prototype of a boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) treatment device and an experimental verification prototype for neutron imaging non-destructive testing, and conducted related experimental research. Currently, CIAE is developing an 18 MeV/1 mA high-current proton cyclotron for applications such as BNCT clinical use, and is engaged in the development of a new high-current cyclotron based on \textH_2^ + with beam currents reaching 3-5 mA. CIAE’s high-current cyclotrons will play an important role in applications such as BNCT and neutron imaging based on accelerator neutron sources, and accelerator production of medical radioisotopes.