The New 5 MeV Electrostatic Ion Accelerator at the Central Research Institute for Physics, Budapest, Hungary

The new 5 MeV electrostatic ion accelerator, projected, built, and tested at the Central Research Institute for Physics in Budapest, with some necessary aid from Hungarian industry /pressure vessel etc./ is described. The accelerator´s main specifications are detailed and an account is given of the experiences with glass and porcelain accelerating tubes. By careful design, the intensity of radiation in the range of 4-5 MV has been reduced by 2-3 orders of magnitude. Without an ion beam there was only 3-5 times the intensity of the natural radiation background /i.e. less than 0.5 mR/h/ on the outer surface of the generator vessel when operated at 4-5 MV. The radiation level with the accelerated ion beam is accordingly also very low. During a 7-month period in 1970 the generator ran for 3,250 hours of measurements in nuclear physics.