Search

In the SPS spectrum measurements of very long single bunches were used in the past to identify sources of longitudinal microwave instability. Shielding of the identified objects significantly improved the beam stability. However, longitudinal instabilities are still one of the limitations for high intensity LHC beams in the SPS. Recently the same measurement technique was used again, revealing a strong high frequency resonance. During the slow de-bunching with the RF switched off, the presence of different resonant impedances leads to a line density modulation at the resonant frequencies. Longitudinal profiles of bunches of various intensities were acquired. For sufficiently high intensities their spectra show a fast growing and strong modulation at 1.4 GHz. Measurements using two transverse optics with different transition energy are compared. Reproducing the measurements with numerical simulations, including the known SPS longitudinal impedances, allowed the parameter range of this unknown source to be determined. Possible candidates as impedance sources in the SPS ring are investigated.

Operation of LHC with bunch trains at different spacings has revealed the formation of an electron cloud inside the machine. The main observations of electron cloud build up are the pressure rise measured at the vacuum gauges in the warm regions, as well as the increase of the beam screen temperature in the cold regions due to an additional heat load. The effects of the electron cloud were also visible as instability and emittance growth affecting the last bunches of longer trains, which could be improved running with higher chromaticity or larger transverse emittances. A summary of the 2010 and 2011 observations and measurements and a comparison with models will be presented. The efficiency of scrubbing to improve the machine running performance will be briefly discussed.

Loss of Landau damping leading to a single bunch longitudinal instability has been observed in the LHC during the ramp and on the 3.5 TeV flat top for small injected longitudinal emittances. The first measurements are in reasonable agreement with the threshold calculated for the expected longitudinal reactive impedance budget of the LHC as well as with the threshold dependence on beam energy. The cure is a controlled longitudinal emittance blow-up during the ramp which for a constant threshold through the cycle should provide an emittance proportional to the square root of energy.

The 200 MHz RF system used in the SPS for acceleration of all beams including the LHC-type ones has a travelling wave structure and consists of four cavities, two of them with five sections and two with four. For stability of future high intensity LHC beams in the SPS larger (than now) controlled longitudinal emittance blow-up and therefore bucket and voltage amplitude will be necessary, but less voltage will be available due to the effect of beam loading in the existing system with maximum peak RF power per cavity of 1 MW. This issue will become critical for beam acceleration and especially for beam transfer into the 400 MHz RF system of the LHC. The proposed solution is to shorten the two long cavities and using free sections together with two spare to install two extra cavities with corresponding power plants of 1.4 MW each. After this upgrade, which is a main part of more general SPS upgrade for high luminosity LHC and should be completed during 2017, the performance of the SPS RF system with high intensity beams will be significantly improved and at the same time the overall peak impedance of the system will be reduced by 20%.

Electron cloud build-up is a major limitation for the operation of the SPS with LHC beam above nominal intensity. These beams are envisaged in the frame of the LHC luminosity upgrade and will be available from the new injectors LPSPL and PS2. A series of studies have been conducted in order to identify possible means to suppress electron multipacting by coating the existing SPS vacuum chambers with thin films of amorphous carbon. After a description of the experimental apparatus installed in the SPS, the results of the tests performed with beam in 2008 will be presented.

Hardware commissioning of the LHC RF system was successfully completed in time for first beams in LHC in September 2008. All cavities ware conditioned to nominal field, power systems tested and all Low level synchronization systems, cavity controllers and beam control electronics were tested and calibrated. Beam was successfully captured in ring 2, cavities phased, and a number of initial measurements made. These results are presented and tests and preparation for colliding beams in 2009 are outlined.