Optimization of the High Brightness Beam Performance of the CERN PSB with H- Injection

In the framework of the LHC Injectors Upgrade Project (LIU), the CERN Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB) went through major upgrades resulting in new effects to study, challenges to overcome and new parameter regimes to explore. To assess the achievable beam brightness limit of the machine, a series of experimental and computational studies in the transverse planes were performed. In particular, the new injection scheme induces optics perturbations that are strongly enhanced near the half-integer resonance. In this thesis, methods for dynamically measuring and correcting these perturbations and their impact on the beam performance will be presented. Additionally, the quality of the transverse beam distributions and strategies for improvement will be addressed. Finally, the space charge effects when dynamically crossing the half-integer resonance will be characterized. The results of these studies and their broader significance beyond the PSB will be discussed

Optimization of the high brightness beam performance of the CERN PSB with H-injection

In the framework of the LHC Injectors Upgrade Project (LIU), the CERN Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB) went through major upgrades resulting in new effects to study, challenges to overcome and new parameter regimes to explore. To assess the achievable beam brightness limit of the machine, a series of experimental and computational studies in the transverse planes were performed. In particular, the new injection scheme induces optics perturbations that are strongly enhanced near the half-integer resonance. In this thesis, methods for dynamically measuring and correcting these perturbations and their impact on the beam performance will be presented. Additionally, the quality of the transverse beam distributions and strategies for improvement will be addressed. Finally, the space charge effects when dynamically crossing the half-integer resonance will be characterized. The results of these studies and their broader significance beyond the PSB will be discussed

Analytical and Numerical Studies on Kicked Beams in the Context of Half-Integer Studies

In the context of the half-integer studies an investigation of the dynamics of the kicked beam has revealed surprising properties. The coupling of space charge with chromatic- ity in addition to usual damping/non-damping dynamics, exhibits new properties typical of a linear coupling. This proceeding covers the status of these studies carried out with analytical and numerical approaches and the prelimi- nary results of experimental investigations in the CERN PS Booster

SPS Operation and Future Proton Sharing Scenarios for the ECN3 facility

In the framework of the Physics Beyond Colliders (PBC) study, a future high intensity facility at the existing ECN3 experimental hall of the North Area (NA) complex is under study. A task force is investigating ECN3 intensity upgrade scenarios concerning beam delivery and related infrastructure, considering solutions compatible with consolidation plans and post-LS3 experimental scenarios. As input to this study group, the sharing scenarios for the amount of protons on target (PoT) delivered to such a future high intensity fixed-target facility and the existing North Area experiments are presented in this report. Based on demonstrated Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) performance for CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso (CNGS) and the recent SPS performance for fixed target beams following the successful completion of the LHC Injectors Upgrade (LIU) project, the expected proton sharing between the TCC2 targets and ECN3 is estimated. AWAKE and HiRadMat are taken into account in the future supercycle composition while the maximum possible power dissipation of the SPS magnets is respected. In the note it is also assumed that measures will be taken to address beam loss and activation at extraction and transfer compatibly with the transmission efficiency presented here. Finally, also considerations on power consumption are made for the different operational scenarios

Experimental Investigations on the High-Intensity Effects Near the Half-Integer Resonance in the PSB

Space charge effects are the main limitation for the brightness performance of the Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB) at CERN. Following the upgrades of the LHC Injectors Upgrade (LIU) project, the PSB delivered unprecedented brightness even exceeding the projected target parameters. A possibility for further increasing the brightness is to operate above the half-integer resonance 2Q_{y}=9 in order to avoid emittance blow-up from resonances at Q_{x,y}=4 due to the strong space charge detuning. The half-integer resonance can be compensated to a great extent using the available quadrupole correctors in the PSB, and also deliberately excited in a controlled way. The control of the half-integer resonance and the flexibility of the PSB to create a variety of different beam and machine conditions allowed the experimental characterization of space charge effects near this resonance. This contribution reports the experimental observations of the particle trapping during the dynamic crossing of the half-integer, as well as systematic studies of the beam degradation from space charge induced resonance crossing

Studies on the Vertical Half-Integer Resonance in the CERN PS Booster

Following the upgrades of the LHC Injectors Upgrade Project (LIU), the Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB) at CERN successfully delivers beams with double brightness. An important contributing factor for this was the dynamic correction of the beta-beating induced by the injection chicane, which allowed stable operation closer to the half-integer resonance. Ideally, injection above the half-integer resonance could further improve the beam brightness. In this context, a series of studies were initiated in order to characterize the effects of space charge when crossing the half-integer resonance. In this contribution, the first results of these investigations are reported

Pushing High Intensity and High Brightness Limits in the CERN PSB after the LIU Upgrades

After the successful completion of the LHC Injectors Upgrade (LIU) project, the CERN Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB) has produced beams with up to two times higher brightness. However, the efforts to continuously improve the beam quality for the CERN physics experiments are ongoing. In particular, the high brightness LHC beams show non-Gaussian tails in the transverse profiles that can cause losses in the downstream machines, and even at LHC injection. As a result, alternative production schemes based on triple harmonic capture are being investigated in order to preserve brightness and reduce transverse tails at the same time. In addition, in view of a possible upgrade to the ISOLDE facility that would require approximately twice the number of protons per ring, the ultimate intensity reach of the PSB is explored. In this context, injection schemes using painting both transversely and longitudinally in order to mitigate the strong space charge effects are developed

Characterization of the Vertical Beam Tails in the CERN PS Booster

The CERN Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB) went through major upgrades in the framework of the LHC Injectors Upgrade Project (LIU) aiming to double the brightness of the LHC beams. Operation restarted in early 2021, demonstrating the expected performance improvement. The high-brightness beams, nevertheless, appear to have overpopulated tails in the vertical beam profiles, both at injection and at extraction energies. In an attempt to understand the origin and evolution of the observed tails, systematic profile measurements were performed for different machine and beam configurations using Wire Scanners (WS). The results are presented in this report and compared to simulations. The effect of the Coulomb scattering of the wire to the beam distribution is also addressed

Optimised Transverse Painting Schemes for the New 160 MeV H−^- Injection System at CERN

A major aspect of the LHC Injectors Upgrade (LIU) project at CERN is the Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB) connection to the newly built Linac4 and the related installation of a new 160 MeV H$^-$ charge exchange injection. This contribution presents the first operational experience with the new injection system and its flexibility of applying horizontal phase space painting to tailor different beams to the respective user-defined brightness targets. The presented measurement and multi-particle simulation results focus on the optimisation of the required transverse injection settings to reduce losses when producing high-intensity beams, i.e. for the ISOLDE experiment. In this context, feasibility studies towards applying numerical optimisation algorithms for improving and efficiently adapting the respective injection settings online are presented