BNL, Upton, New York, USA
The electron beam for the recently constructed Low Energy RHIC electron Cooler (LEReC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory is generated by a high-power fiber laser illuminating a photocathode. The pointing stability of the low-energy electron beam, which is crucial to maintain within acceptable limits given the long beam transport, is highly dependent on the center-of-mass (CoM) stability of the laser spot on the photocathode. For reasons of accessibility during operations, the laser itself is located outside the accelerator tunnel, leading to the need to propagate the laser beam 34 m via three laser tables to the photocathode. The challenges to achieving the required CoM stability of 10 microns on the photocathode thus requires mitigation of vibrations along the transport and of weather- and season-related environmental effects, while preserving accessibility and diagnostic capabilities with proactive design. After successful commissioning of the full transport in 2018/19, we report on our solutions to these design challenges.
LEReC Photocathode DC Gun Beam Test Results - D. Kayran Conference: C18-04-29, p.TUPMF025
Commissioning of Electron Accelerator LEReC for Bunch Beam Cooling - D.Kayran, NAPAC19
BNL, Upton, New York, USA
The Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer (BLIP) produces several radioisotopes using a variable energy and current proton beam. The targets irradiated at BLIP are cooled by water and required to be isolated in a target capsule. During the design stage, thermal analysis of the target and cladding is carried out to determine the maximum beam power a target can handle during irradiation without destruction. In this work we designed a capsule for Gallium-Nickel (Ga 80%, Ni 20%) alloy target material and irradiated the target at the BLIP to produce the radioisotope Ge-68. Since no literature data is available on Ga4Ni’s thermal conductivity (K) and specific heat (C), measurements were carried out using thermal testing in conjunction with Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Steady-state one dimensional heat conduction method was used to determine the thermal conductivity. Transient method was used to calculate the specific heat. The test setup with same methodologies can be used to assess other targets in the future. Here, we will detail these studies and discuss the improved design and fabrication of this target.
BNL, Upton, New York, USA
The RHIC ion (polarized proton) beam intensity has increased to 4x (1.1x) of the original design specifications. In 2013 proton beam currents overcame the eddy current reduction design features in the RHIC beam abort system kicker magnets causing ferrite heating and resulting in a reduction of the kicker strength. In 2014, the abort kicker ferrites were changed, the eddy current reduction design was upgraded, and an active ferrite cooling loop installed to prevent heating. For ions the beam dump vacuum window was changed from stainless steel to a titanium alloy and the adjacent beam diffuser block carbon material was changed to allow for higher ion intensities. A thicker beam pipe was installed to prevent secondaries from quenching the adjacent superconducting quadrupole. With these upgrades there is at least a factor 2 of safety margin for the demonstrated intensities to date. For a further increase in the intensity for RHIC and eRHIC we evaluate upgrade options for the beam abort system.
BNL, Upton, New York, USA
The Low Energy RHIC electron Cooler (LEReC) was recently constructed and commissioned at BNL. The LEReC is the first electron cooler based on the RF acceleration of electron bunches (previous electron coolers all used DC beams). Bunched electron beams are necessary for cooling hadron beams at high energies. The challenges of such an approach include generation of electron beams suitable for cooling, delivery of electron beams of the required quality to the cooling sections without degradation of beam emittances and energy spread, achieving required small angles between electrons and ions in the cooling sections, precise energy matching between the two beams, high-current operation of the electron accelerator, as well as several physics effects related to bunched beam cooling. Following successful commissioning of the electron accelerator in 2018, the focus of the LEReC project in 2019 was on establishing electron-ion interactions and demonstration of cooling process using electron energy of 1.6MeV (ion energy of 3.85GeV/n), which is the lowest energy of interest. Here we report on the first demonstration of Au ion cooling in RHIC using this new approach.
