Magnetic core studies at LBNL and LLNL

The objective of this work is to minimize the cost of the materials and maximize the performance of magnetic cores, a major cost component of a Heavy-Ion-Fusion (HIF) induction accelerator driver. This includes selection of the alloy for cost and performance, and maximizing the performance of each alloy evaluated. The two major performance parameters are the magnetic flux swing and the energy loss. The volt seconds of the cores, obtained from the flux swing with Faraday's Law, determines the beam energy and duration. Core losses from forming domains and moving their boundaries are a major factor in determining the efficiency of an induction accelerator.