Betatrons have the advantages of small size, lightweight, and simple
operation. They are widely used in non-destructive testing, cargo, and
vehicle safety inspection systems. Magnetic field distribution is an
essential parameter of betatrons and has been investigated via experimental
methods. Recently, simulations have been performed for the magnetic field
distribution generated by different magnetic pole parameters. In this study,
the finite element method is employed to simulate the magnetic field
distribution. The effects of the different magnetic end face opening angles,
pole protrusion sizes, number of central magnetic pads, and magnetic pole
bottom width on the magnetic field distribution are simulated. Based on the
simulation results, magnetic poles are developed, and the magnetic field
distribution is measured by a gauss meter. The relative error of the measured
and simulated equilibrium orbit is 2.1 %, and the relative error of the
magnetic field decay index is 3.3 %. The magnetic field distribution can
satisfy the essential conditions that the magnetic field at equilibrium orbit
of the betatron is equal to half of the average magnetic field within
equilibrium orbit and the magnetic field decay index is greater than 0 and
less than 1. The results show that the finite element simulation method and
established model have high reliability and effectively improve the design
accuracy of magnetic poles.