The LHC Injection Tests

A series of LHC injection tests was performed in August and September 2008. The first saw beam injected into sector 23; the second into sectors 78 and 23; the third into sectors 78-67 and sectors 23-34-45. The fourth, into sectors 23-34-45, was performed the evening before the extended injection test on the 10th September which saw both beams brought around the full circumference of the LHC. The tests enabled the testing and debugging of a number of critical control and hardware systems; testing and validation of instrumentation with beam for the first time; deployment, and validation of a number of measurement procedures. Beam based measurements revealed a number of machine configuration issues that were rapidly resolved. The tests were undoubtedly an essential precursor to the successful start of LHC beam commissioning. This paper provides an outline of preparation for the tests, the machine configuration and summarizes the measurements made and individual system performance

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) - 2018 Summary Report

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) is a TeV-scale high-luminosity linear $e^+e^-$ collider under development at CERN. Following the CLIC conceptual design published in 2012, this report provides an overview of the CLIC project, its current status, and future developments. It presents the CLIC physics potential and reports on design, technology, and implementation aspects of the accelerator and the detector. CLIC is foreseen to be built and operated in stages, at centre-of-mass energies of 380 GeV, 1.5 TeV and 3 TeV, respectively. CLIC uses a two-beam acceleration scheme, in which 12 GHz accelerating structures are powered via a high-current drive beam. For the first stage, an alternative with X-band klystron powering is also considered. CLIC accelerator optimisation, technical developments and system tests have resulted in an increased energy efficiency (power around 170 MW) for the 380 GeV stage, together with a reduced cost estimate at the level of 6 billion CHF. The detector concept has been refined using improved software tools. Significant progress has been made on detector technology developments for the tracking and calorimetry systems. A wide range of CLIC physics studies has been conducted, both through full detector simulations and parametric studies, together providing a broad overview of the CLIC physics potential. Each of the three energy stages adds cornerstones of the full CLIC physics programme, such as Higgs width and couplings, top-quark properties, Higgs self-coupling, direct searches, and many precision electroweak measurements. The interpretation of the combined results gives crucial and accurate insight into new physics, largely complementary to LHC and HL-LHC. The construction of the first CLIC energy stage could start by 2026. First beams would be available by 2035, marking the beginning of a broad CLIC physics programme spanning 25-30 years

The LHC Injection Sequencer

The LHC injection process is controlled by the injection sequencer. Predefined filling schemes stored in the LHC control database are used to indicate the number of injections, the type of beam and the longitudinal place of each

Verification of the CNGS timing system using fast diamond detectors

A new fast diagnostic tool was installed in the CNGS facility in 2011 following the neutrino time-of-flight results published by OPERA in September 2011. Among others, four polycrystalline CVD (pCVD) diamond detectors were placed in the secondary beam line about 1200 m downstream of the CNGS target in order to measure the beam structure of the muons which are produced together with the muon neutrinos. Upstream of the CNGS target, a fast beam current transformer measures the proton beam structure. The sub-nanosecond single-pulse time resolution of pCVD diamond for a minimum ionising particle in combination with a GPS system allows the measurement of the GPS timing of individual secondary particle bunches crossing these detectors with a precision of  < 1 ns. The complicated structure of the CNGS muon beam in 2011 necessitates the combination of adjacent bunches in order to compare the proton beam structure with the muon beam structure. An analysis of the detector signals was carried out, which provides an independent timing measurement at CERN with a precision of 1.2 ns. Uncertainties from other sources as cable lengths add up to 3.4 ns, resulting in an overall precision of 3.6 ns. The distance between the beam current transformer and the diamond detectors has been measured to (1859.95±0.02) cm. The nominal time-of-flight of (6205.3±1.7) ns for a 17 GeV/c muon, as present in the CNGS muons beam, falls within the uncertainties of the measured time-of-flight of (6205.2±3.6) ns. Hence, the GPS timing measurements performed at CERN are consistent

Verification of the CNGS Timing System using Ultra-Fast Diamond Detectors

A new ultra-fast diagnostic tool was installed in the CNGS facility in 2011 following the neutrino time-of-flight results published by OPERA in September 2011. Several polycrystalline CVD diamond detectors were placed in the secondary beam line about 1200m downstream of the CNGS target in order to measure the time structure of the muons which are produced together with the muon neutrinos. This allows an accurate measurement of the GPS timing of individual secondary particle bunches crossing these detectors, and provides an independent timing measurement at CERN, which has previously been based solely on the fast beam current transformers installed in the primary proton beam line upstream of the CNGS target. Both the position of the detectors, and the time between the detection of the particles at the beam current transformer and the diamond detectors have been measured very carefully and a sound analysis of the detector signals was done. This allows comparison of the measurements between the beam current transformer and the diamond detectors. The results reveal that the GPS timing measurements performed at CERN are consistent

Linac4 design report

Linear accelerator 4 (Linac4) is designed to accelerate negative hydrogen ions for injection into the Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB). It will become the source of proton beams for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) after the long shutdown in 2019–2020. Linac4 will accelerate H– ions, consisting of a hydrogen atom with an additional electron, to 160 MeV energy and then inject them into the PSB, which is part of the LHC injection chain. The new accelerator comprises an ion source and four types of accelerating structures. The particles are accelerated first to 3 MeV energy by a Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ), then to 50 MeV by three Drift Tube Linacs (DTL) tanks, then to 100 MeV by seven Cell-Coupled Drift Tube Linac (CCDTL) modules, and finally to 160 MeV by twelve Pi-Mode Structures (PIMS). A chopper line placed between the RFQ and the first DTL tank modulates the linac beam at the PSB injection frequency. Linac4 includes transfer and measurement lines up to the PSB injection, where the ions are stripped of their two electrons to leave only protons. Linac4 is 76 metres long and located 12 metres below ground. The first low-energy beams were produced in 2013 and after the commissioning of all accelerating structures the milestone energy of 160 MeV was reached in 2016. Linac4 will be connected to the PSB during the long shutdown of 2019–20, after which it will replace the 50 MeV Linac2 as source of protons for the LHC. The Linac4 is a key element in the project to increase the luminosity of the LHC during the next decade

The LINAC4 Project at CERN

As the first step of a long-term programme aiming at an increase in the LHC luminosity, CERN is building a new 160 MeV H¯ linear accelerator, Linac4, to replace the ageing 50 MeV Linac2 as injector to the PS Booster (PSB). Linac4 is an 86-m long normal-conducting linac made of an H¯ source, a Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ), a chopping line and a sequence of three accelerating structures: a Drift-Tube Linac (DTL), a Cell-Coupled DTL (CCDTL) and a Pi-Mode Structure (PIMS). The civil engineering has been recently completed, and construction of the main accelerator components has started with the support of a network of international collaborations. The low-energy section up to 3 MeV including a 3-m long 352 MHz RFQ entirely built at CERN is in the final construction phase and is being installed on a dedicated test stand. The present schedule foresees beam commissioning of the accelerator in the new tunnel in 2013/14; the moment of connection of the new linac to the CERN accelerator chain will depend on the LHC schedule for long shut-downs

Progress in the Construction of Linac4 at CERN

As first step of the LHC luminosity upgrade program CERN is building a new 160 MeV H¯ linear accelerator, Linac4, to replace the ageing 50 MeV Linac2 as injector to the PS Booster (PSB). Linac4 is an 86-m long normalconducting linac made of a 3 MeV injector followed by 22 accelerating cavities of three different types. The general service infrastructure has been installed in the new tunnel and surface building and its commissioning is progressing; high power RF equipment is being installed in the hall and installations in the tunnel will start soon. Construction of the accelerator parts is in full swing involving industry, the CERN workshops and a network of international collaborations. The injector section including a newly designed and built H¯ source, a 3-m long RFQ and a chopping line is being commissioned in a dedicated test stand. Beam commissioning of the linac will take place in steps of increasing energy between 2013 and 2015. From end of 2014 Linac4 could deliver 50 MeV protons in case of Linac2 failure, while 160 MeV H¯ could be injected into the PSB from 2016; connection to the PSB will take place during a long LHC shut-down foreseen to begin end of 2017

Status and plans for Linac4 installation and commissioning

Linac4 is a normal conducting 160 MeV Hˉ linear accelerator presently being installed and progressively commissioned at CERN. It will replace the ageing 50 MeV Linac2 as injector of the PS Booster (PSB), increasing at the same time its brightness by a factor of two thanks to the higher injection energy. This will be the first step of a program to increase the beam brightness in the LHC injectors for the needs of the High-Luminosity LHC project. After a series of beam measurements on a dedicated test stand the 3 MeV Linac4 front-end, including ion source, RFQ and a beam chopping line, has been recommissioned at its final position in the Linac4 tunnel. Commissioning of the following section, the Drift Tube Linac, is starting. Beam commissioning will take place in steps of increasing energy, to reach the final 160 MeV in 2015. An extended beam measurement phase including testing of stripping equipment for the PSB and a year-long test run to assess and improve Linac4 reliability will take place in 2016, prior to the connection of Linac4 to the PSB that will take place during the next long LHC shut-down