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The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) stores two high-energy counter-rotating particle beams consisting of multiple bunches of a nanosecond length. Precise knowledge of the number of particles within each bunch, known as the bunch intensity, is crucial for physicists and accelerator operators. From the very beginning of the LHC operation, bunch intensity was measured by four commercial fast beam current transformers (FBCTs) coupling to the beam current. However, the FBCTs exhibited several shortcomings which degraded the measurement accuracy below the required level. A new sensor, the wall current transformer (WCT), has been developed to overcome the FBCT limitations. The WCT consists of eight small radio frequency (RF) current transformers distributed radially around the accelerator's vacuum chamber. Each transformer couples to a fraction of the image current induced on the vacuum chamber by the passing particle beam. A network of RF combiners sums the outputs of all transformers to produce a single signal which, after integration, is proportional to the bunch intensity. In laboratory tests and during beam measurements, the WCT performance was demonstrated to convincingly exceed that of the FBCT. All originally installed FBCTs were replaced by four WCTs, which have been serving as the LHC reference bunch intensity sensors since 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) stores two high-energy counter-rotating particle beams consisting of multiple bunches of a nanosecond length. Precise knowledge of the number of particles within each bunch, known as the bunch intensity, is crucial for physicists and accelerator operators. From the very beginning of the LHC operation, bunch intensity was measured by four commercial fast beam current transformers (FBCTs) coupling to the beam current. However, the FBCTs exhibited several shortcomings which degraded the measurement accuracy below the required level. A new sensor, the wall current transformer (WCT), has been developed to overcome the FBCT limitations. The WCT consists of eight small radio frequency (RF) current transformers distributed radially around the accelerator’s vacuum chamber. Each transformer couples to a fraction of the image current induced on the vacuum chamber by the passing particle beam. A network of RF combiners sums the outputs of all transformers to produce a single signal which, after integration, is proportional to the bunch intensity. In laboratory tests and during beam measurements, the WCT performance was demonstrated to convincingly exceed that of the FBCT. All originally installed FBCTs were replaced by four WCTs, which have been serving as the LHC reference bunch intensity sensors since 2016.

Resonant stripline cavity kicker was first proposed by Spring-8 as a highly efficient longitudinal feedback kicker, since the shunt impedance per length of this type of kicker is higher than that of the widely-used waveguide-loaded cavity kicker. This paper presents the design of a resonant stripline cavity kicker for the HEPS Booster with a smaller beampipe compared to Spring-8. Based on the time domain measurements and the particle-in-cell simulation results, the designed kicker with a length of 402 mm is expected to achieve a peak shunt impedance of 4140 Ω and a minimum shunt impedance of 2700 Ω within the bandwidth from 1.5 GHz to 1.75 GHz, demonstrating itself a higher efficiency over the waveguide-loaded cavity kicker. Besides, the analyzed coupling beam impedance of this kicker indicates it not a source of beam instability. All these results suggest the resonant stripline cavity kicker an ideal choice to simultaneously fulfill feedback requirements and save installation space even on a smaller size scale. • A resonant stripline cavity longitudinal feedback kicker for the HEPS Booster with a smaller beampipe compared to Spring-8 is developed. • The kicker itself would not be a source of beam instability. • The kicker is expected to achieve a shunt impedance beyond 2700 ℧ and a peak value of 4140 ℧ within the working bandwidth from 1.5 GHz to 1.75 GHz. • This type of kicker has a higher shunt impedance per length over the widely used waveguide-loaded cavity kicker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fast luminosity monitor measuring the rate of the radiative Bhabha process at zero degree photon scattering angle based on diamond detectors was developed and successfully operated during the Phase-2 commissioning of SuperKEKB. The main purpose of this system, called LumiBelle2, is to provide: train integrated luminosity signals at 1 kHz with a relative precision better than 1% for luminosities higher than 1 0 34 c m − 2 s − 1 , input to a dithering feedback system designed to maintain an optimum horizontal overlap between the two colliding beams at the Interaction Point (IP), and bunch integrated luminosity signals at 1 Hz which are useful for machine tuning and beam parameters studies of the successive bunches along the train. In this paper, the design of the LumiBelle2 and Phase-2 results will be reported, including the evaluation of the single beam background, relative luminosity measurements and vertical beam size determinations at the IP using vertical offset scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The conversion of the CALIFES beamline of CTF3 into the "CERN Linear Electron Accelerator for Research" (CLEAR) facility was approved in December 2016. The primary focus for CLEAR is general accelerator R&D and component studies for existing and possible future accelerator applications. This includes studies for high gradient acceleration methods, e.g. for CLIC and plasma technology, and prototyping and validation of accelerator components, e.g. for the HL-LHC upgrade. The facility also provides irradiation test capabilities for characterisation of electronic components and for medical applications. A description of the facility with details on the achievable beam parameters, and the status and plans are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A broadband, digital damper system for both transverse planes developed for the SNS accumulator ring has recently damped the first indications of the broadband 50–150 MHz e-p instability in a 1.2 MW neutron production beam. This paper presents details of the design and operation of the SNS damper system as well as results of active damping of the e-p instability in the SNS ring showing a reduction in power of betatron oscillation over the 10–300 MHz band of up to 70%. The spectral content of the beam during operation, with and without the damper system is presented and performance of the damper system is evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the first phase of the AWAKE [1,2] experiment at CERN is to measure the self-modulation [3] of the σ z = 12 cm long SPS proton bunch into microbunches after traversing 10 m of plasma with a plasma density of n pe = 7 × 10 14 electrons / cm 3 . The two screen measurement setup [4] is a proton beam diagnostic that can indirectly prove the successful development of the self-modulation of the proton beam by imaging protons that got defocused by the transverse plasma wakefields after passing through the plasma, at two locations downstream the end of the plasma. This article describes the design and realization of the two screen measurement setup integrated in the AWAKE experiment. We discuss the performance and background response of the system based on measurements performed with an unmodulated Gaussian SPS proton bunch during the AWAKE beam commissioning in September and October 2016. We show that the system is fully commissioned and adapted to eventually image the full profile of a self-modulated SPS proton bunch in a single shot measurement during the first phase of the AWAKE experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The higher energy and luminosity of the LHC initiated the development of dedicated technologies for radiation monitoring and luminosity measurement. A dedicated pixelated luminosity detector measures coincidences in several three-layer telescopes of silicon pixel detectors to arrive at a luminosity for each colliding LHC bunch pair. In addition, charged particle tracking allows to monitor the location of the collision point. The upgraded fast beam conditions monitor measures the particle flux using 24 two-pad single crystalline diamond sensors, equipped with a fast front-end ASIC produced in 130 nm CMOS technology. The excellent time resolution is used to separate collision products from machine induced background. A new beam-halo monitor at larger radius exploits Cherenkov light produced by relativistic charged particles in fuzed quartz crystals to provide direction sensitivity and time resolution to separate incoming and outgoing particles. The back-end electronics of the beam monitoring systems includes dedicated modules with high bandwidth digitizers developed in both VME and microTCA standards for per bunch beam measurements and gain monitoring. All new and upgraded sub-detectors have been taking data from the first day of LHC operation in April 2015. Results on their commissioning and essential characteristics using data since the start-up of LHC will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the self-mixing technique, or optical feedback interferometry, fluid velocity measurements of water seeded with titanium dioxide have been performed using a laser diode to measure the effect of the seeding particle concentration and also the pump speed of the flow. The velocimeter utilises commercially available laser diodes with a built-in photodiode for detection of the self-mixing effect. The device has demonstrated an accuracy better than 10% for liquid flow velocities up to 1.5 m/s with a concentration of scattering particles in the range of 0.8–0.03%. This is an improvement of one order of magnitude compared to previous experiments. The proposed velocimeter is to be developed further for application in gas-jet measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Allison-type emittance scanner has been designed for PXIE at FNAL with the goal of providing fast and accurate phase space reconstruction. The device has been modified from previous LBNL/SNS designs to operate in both pulsed and DC modes with the addition of water-cooled front slits. Extensive calibration techniques and error analysis allowed confinement of uncertainty to the < 5 % level (with known caveats). With a 16-bit, 1 MHz electronics scheme the device is able to analyse a pulse with a resolution of 1 μs, allowing for analysis of neutralisation effects. This paper describes a detailed breakdown of the R&D, as well as post-run analysis techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beam characterization studies in terms of emittance and proton fraction have been carried out in the high current Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) proton ion source developed for Low Energy High Intensity Proton Accelerator (LEHIPA). The beam emittance was measured using two slit emittance measurement units (EMU). The emittance was measured at three locations (1) after beam extraction at ion source end, (2) after focusing the beam using solenoid magnet and (3) after focusing and separating H + using solenoid magnet and analyzing magnet. The beam emittance measured in all three cases was found to be less than 0.2π mm-mrad (rms-normalized). The proton fraction in the beam measured using analyzing magnet was found to be more than 90%. The variations of beam emittance and proton fraction have been studied as a function of microwave power and neutral gas pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based transverse feedback damper system was implemented in the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) accumulator ring with the intention to stabilize the electron–proton (e–p) instability in the frequency range of 1–300 MHz. The transverse feedback damper could also be used as a diagnostic tool by measuring the beam transfer function (BTF). An analysis of the BTF measurements provides the stability diagram for the production beam at SNS. This paper describes the feedback damper system and its setup as the BTF diagnostic tool. Experimental BTF results are presented and beam stability is analyzed by use of the BTF measurements for the SNS accumulator ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ionization profile monitor (IPM) has been designed for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) accumulator ring with the goal of simplifying current IPM technology to provide accurate high-intensity beam profiles. Utilizing ionized electrons produced by beam-gas ionization, the SNS IPM uses a 120 kV bias potential and uniquely designed electrode to overcome beam space charge and accelerate electrons towards a movable particle detector. A 300 G magnetic field will be used to confine the transverse electron motion, resulting in profile errors at the 7% level. With a system bandwidth of 17.5 MHz, the SNS IPM will be capable of measuring turn-by-turn beam profiles for a fully accumulated beam. This paper presents a description of the system and design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) to be constructed at Michigan State University shall deliver a continuous, 400 kW heavy ion beam to the isotope production target. This beam is capable of inflicting serious damage on accelerator components, e.g. superconducting RF accelerating cavities. A Beam Loss Monitoring (BLM) System is essential for detecting beam loss with sufficient sensitivity and promptness to inform the machine protection system (MPS) and operations personnel of impending dangerous losses. Radiation transport simulations reveal shortcomings in the use of ionization chambers for the detection of beam losses in low-energy, heavy-ion accelerators. Radiation cross-talk effects due to the folded geometry of the FRIB LINAC pose further complications to locating specific points of beam loss. We propose a newly developed device, named the Loss Monitor Ring (LMR 1 1 Loss Monitor Ring. ), to be implemented upstream of each FRIB cryomodule, as part of the direct loss monitoring system to fulfill the needs of machine protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing copper-coated carbon fibers used in wire scanners to measure the transverse beam profile in the accelerators at CERN are approaching material limits. A new instrument design has showed that the main limitation now comes from the centerpiece of the instrument: the wire. Large amplitude vibrations increase the risk of failure during scans. New required specifications concerning the beam measurements for the Future Circular Collider (FCC) project cannot be met. Fortunately, the commercial development of long microscopic yarns made of spun carbon nanotubes has paved the way for possible alternatives. The objective of this study is to determine if those Carbon NanoTube Yarns (CNTY) could replace the current carbon fibers (CF) for beam instrumentation, and if so, to determine the best configuration in terms of diameters and mounting system. To do so, we have made extensive testing and microscopy on CNT yarns with diameters of 10, 20 and 30 μ m , with two different mounting systems, the Paper Frame conditioning (PF) or partial Copper-Coated conditioning (CC). A Weibull approach was used to extrapolate our results to the real length of the wires used in operational instruments. This study shows that considering the Weibull criteria, the best configuration to increase the accuracy of the beam profile measurement is to use a not copper-coated 20 μ m diameter CNTY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From its invention in 1997, the Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) has been applied in nuclear and high energy physics experiments. Over time however, other applications have also exploited the favorable properties of GEMs. The use of GEMs in these applications will be explained in principle and practice. This paper reviews applications in research, beam instrumentation and homeland security. The detectors described measure neutral radiations such as photons, x-rays, gamma rays and neutrons, as well as all kinds of charged radiation. This paper provides an overview of the still expanding range of possibilities of this versatile detector concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Signal transmission characteristics in stripline electrodes of a stripline-type beam position monitor (BPM) are discussed on the basis of a coupled-mode analysis in electromagnetically coupled transmission lines. The physical prospect in the calibration procedure of stripline electrodes is improved in terms of signal transmission characteristics in the frequency domain. It is demonstrated that in the signal transmission with electromagnetic coupling between the stripline electrodes, the magnetic- and electric-coupling parameters play an important role depending upon the spatial configuration and mechanical structure of the stripline electrodes. In this report, a theoretical analysis, and experimental investigation into signal transmission characteristics and performance in a standard stripline-type BPM are described in detail on the basis of a coupled-mode analysis in uniform transmission lines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A number of particle physics experiments are being proposed as part of the Department of Energy HEP Intensity Frontier. Many of these experiments will utilize megawatt level proton beams onto targets to form secondary beams of muons, kaons and neutrinos. These experiments require transverse size measurements of the incident proton beam onto target for each beam spill. Because of the high power levels, most beam intercepting profiling techniques will not work at full beam intensity. The possibility of utilizing optical transition radiation (OTR) for high intensity proton beam profiling is discussed. In addition, previous measurements of OTR beam profiles from the NuMI beamline are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The energy stored in the nominal LHC beams is two times 362MJ, 100 times the energy of the Tevatron. As little as 1mJ/cm3 deposited energy quenches a magnet at 7 TeV and 1J/cm3 causes magnet damage. The beam dumps are the only places to safely dispose of this beam. One of the key systems for machine protection is the beam loss monitoring (BLM) system. About 3600 ionization chambers are installed at likely or critical loss locations around the LHC ring. The losses are integrated in 12 time intervals ranging from 40μs to 84 s and compared to threshold values defined in 32 energy ranges. A beam abort is requested when potentially dangerous losses are detected or when any of the numerous internal system validation tests fails. In addition, loss data are used for machine set-up and operational verifications. The collimation system for example uses the loss data for set-up and regular performance verification. Commissioning and operational experience of the BLM are presented: The machine protection functionality of the BLM system has been fully reliable; the LHC availability has not been compromised by false beam aborts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Diamond is perhaps the most versatile, efficient and radiation tolerant material available for use in beam detectors with a correspondingly wide range of applications in beam instrumentation. Numerous practical applications have demonstrated and exploited the sensitivity of diamond to charged particles, photons and neutrons. In this paper, a brief description of a generic diamond detector is given and the interaction of the CVD diamond detector material with protons, electrons, photons and neutrons is presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The power source of the Compact LInear Collider (CLIC) relies on the generation and deceleration of a high-intensity electron drive beam. In order to provide the best radio-frequency (RF) to beam-energy transfer efficiency, the electron beam is accelerated using fully loaded RF cavities, which leads to strong beam loading effects resulting in a high-energy transient. The stability of the RF power produced by the drive beam depends on the stability of the drive beam energy and energy spread along the pulse. The control and the monitoring of the time evolution of the beam energy distribution are therefore crucial for the accelerator performance. For this purpose segmented beam dumps, which are simple and robust devices, have been designed and installed at the CLIC Test Facility 3 (CTF3). These devices are located at the end of spectrometer lines and provide horizontal beam profiles with a time resolution better than 10ns. The segmented dumps are composed of parallel, vertical, metallic plates, and are based on the same principle as a Faraday cup: the impinging beam current is read by a fast acquisition channel. Both FLUKA and Geant4 simulations were performed to define the optimum detector geometry for beam energies ranging from 5MeV to 150MeV. This paper presents a detailed description of the different steps of the design: the optimization of the detector spatial resolution, the minimization of the thermal load and the long-term damage resulting from high radiation doses. Four segmented dumps are currently used in the CTF3 complex. Their measured performance and limitations are presented in this paper. Typical beam spectra as measured in the CTF3 linac are also presented along with a description of the RF manipulations needed for tuning the beam energy spectrum. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is the world''s largest particle accelerator. It is designed to accelerate and collide protons or heavy ions up to the center-of-mass energies of 14TeV. Knowledge of the longitudinal distribution of particles is important for various aspects of accelerator operation, in particular to check the injection quality and to measure the proportion of charge outside the nominally filled bunches during the physics periods. In order to study this so-called ghost charge at levels very much smaller than the main bunches, a longitudinal profile measurement with a very high dynamic range is needed. A new detector, the LHC Longitudinal Density Monitor (LDM) is a single-photon counting system measuring synchrotron light by means of an avalanche photodiode detector. The unprecedented energies reached in the LHC allow synchrotron light diagnostics to be used with both protons and heavy ions. A prototype was installed during the 2010 LHC run and was able to longitudinally profile the whole ring with a resolution close to the target of 50ps. On-line correction for the effects of the detector deadtime, pile-up and afterpulsing allow a dynamic range of 105 to be achieved. First measurements with the LDM are presented here along with an analysis of its performance and an outlook for future upgrades. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new detector to measure the machine induced background at larger radii has been developed and installed in the CMS experiment at the LHC. It consists of forty modules, each comprising a quartz bar read out by a photomultiplier tube. Since Cherenkov radiation is emitted in a forward cone around the charged particle trajectory, these detectors can distinguish between the arrival directions of the machine induced background and the collision products. The back-end electronics consists of a uTCA readout with excellent time resolution. The installation in the CMS is described and first commissioning measurements with the LHC beams in Run II are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A profile monitor is described that makes use of a low-intensity and low-energy ion beam to measure the transverse profile of a dense proton beam of small dimensions. Three techniques are considered based on the use of ion beams having a pencil, curtain, or cylindrical shape. The detector is almost non-interceptive for the proton beam and does not introduce disturbances in the machine environment. The theoretical aspects of the techniques used, together with experimental results obtained at the CERN SPS and Linac, are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ocular melanoma has been treated using proton therapy at the Centre Antoine Lacassagne (CAL) since 1991, following the commissioning of the 65 MeV cyclotron MEDICYC and its associated beam-lines a few years earlier. The dedicated eye-line is optimized for shallow tumors and sharp penumbrae and provides state-of-the-art quality of care. The cyclotron, beam-lines and treatment systems, which are maintained exclusively by the staff at CAL, have proven to be exceptionally robust with up-times consistently above 95%. The systems are however aging and need to be replaced to ensure a continuation of ocular treatments with MEDICYC. This paper describes the development and performance of a new treatment control and dose measurement system for MEDICYC. Software and hardware architectural design choices are discussed in context of the requirements for dose delivery precision, robustness and patient safety. The performance of the treatment delivery, dose monitoring and beam quality assurance systems are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A laserwire is a non-invasive, high resolution particle beam size monitor based on Compton scattering that is required for future planned colliders and can also be used to estimate the size of the source in wakefield acceleration experiments. We present recent results from the high resolution laserwire transverse electron beam diagnostic installed at the Accelerator Test Facility 2 (ATF2) electron accelerator at KEK in Japan. Full characterisation of the propagation of the 150mJ, 77ps laser beam is used to deconvolve the transverse laserwire profile demonstrating the successful measurement of 1µm scale vertical electron beam sizes, even with extreme aspect ratios. We also present progress in the development of high energy photonic crystal fibre based laser systems for laserwire measurements at megahertz repetition rates, suitable for intra-train scanning for planned accelerators such as the International Linear Collider, or beam size measurement in laser or particle driven plasma accelerators. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A silicon detector and a diamond detector have been used at the SPS experimental North Area at CERN for diagnostics of beams of ultra-high energy lead ions (150 GeV/nucleon). The detectors are operated in pulse mode using a fast digital electronic chain. The discrimination capability of the two detectors is investigated using deposited energy and pulse shape analysis. It is shown that the detectors have good beam monitoring performances and can discriminate the main lead ion beam component from contamination of light and heavy fragments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]