• K. A. Drees, L. Ahrens, J. G. Alessi, M. Bai, D. S. Barton, J. Beebe-Wang, M. Blaskiewicz, J. M. Brennan, K. A. Brown, D. Bruno, J. J. Butler, R. Calaga, P. Cameron, R. Connolly, T. D'Ottavio, W. Fischer, W. Fu, G. Ganetis, J. W. Glenn, M. Harvey, T. Hayes, H.-C. Hseuh, H. Huang, J. Kewisch, R. C. Lee, V. Litvinenko, Y. Luo, W. W. MacKay, G. J. Marr, A. Marusic, R. J. Michnoff, C. Montag, J. Morris, B. Oerter, F. C. Pilat, V. Ptitsyn, T. Roser, J. Sandberg, T. Satogata, C. Schultheiss, F. Severino, K. Smith, S. Tepikian, D. Trbojevic, N. Tsoupas, J. E. Tuozzolo, A. Zaltsman, S. Y. Zhang
  BNL, Upton, Long Island, New York

After the last successful RHIC Au-Au run in 2004 (Run-4), RHIC experiments now require significantly enhanced luminosity to study very rare events in heavy ion collisions. RHIC has demonstrated its capability to operate routinely above its design average luminosity per store of 2x10²⁶ cm^-2 s^-1. In Run-4 we already achieved 2.5 times the design luminosity in RHIC. This luminosity was achieved with only 40% of bunches filled, and with β* = 1 m. However, the goal is to reach 4 times the design luminosity, 8x10²⁶ cm^-2 s^-1, by reducing the beta* value and increasing the number of bunches to the accelerator maximum of 111. In addition, the average time in store should be increased by a factor of 1.1 to about 60% of calendar time. We present an overview of the changes that increased the instantaneous luminosity and luminosity lifetime, raised the reliability, and improved the operational efficiency of RHIC Au-Au operations during Run-7.

• I. Ben-Zvi, J. Alduino, D. S. Barton, D. Beavis, M. Blaskiewicz, J. M. Brennan, A. Burrill, R. Calaga, P. Cameron, X. Chang, K. A. Drees, A. V. Fedotov, W. Fischer, G. Ganetis, D. M. Gassner, J. G. Grimes, H. Hahn, L. R. Hammons, A. Hershcovitch, H.-C. Hseuh, D. Kayran, J. Kewisch, R. F. Lambiase, D. L. Lederle, V. Litvinenko, C. Longo, W. W. MacKay, G. J. Mahler, G. T. McIntyre, W. Meng, B. Oerter, C. Pai, G. Parzen, D. Pate, D. Phillips, S. R. Plate, E. Pozdeyev, T. Rao, J. Reich, T. Roser, A. G. Ruggiero, T. Russo, C. Schultheiss, Z. Segalov, J. Smedley, K. Smith, T. Tallerico, S. Tepikian, R. Than, R. J. Todd, D. Trbojevic, J. E. Tuozzolo, P. Wanderer, G. Wang, D. Weiss, Q. Wu, K. Yip, A. Zaltsman
  BNL, Upton, Long Island, New York
• D. T. Abell, G. I. Bell, D. L. Bruhwiler, R. Busby, J. R. Cary, D. A. Dimitrov, P. Messmer, V. H. Ranjbar, D. S. Smithe, A. V. Sobol, P. Stoltz
  Tech-X, Boulder, Colorado
• A. V. Aleksandrov, D. L. Douglas, Y. W. Kang
  ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
• H. Bluem, M. D. Cole, A. J. Favale, D. Holmes, J. Rathke, T. Schultheiss, J. J. Sredniawski, A. M.M. Todd
  AES, Princeton, New Jersey
• A. V. Burov, S. Nagaitsev, L. R. Prost
  Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois
• Y. S. Derbenev, P. Kneisel, J. Mammosser, H. L. Phillips, J. P. Preble, C. E. Reece, R. A. Rimmer, J. Saunders, M. Stirbet, H. Wang
  Jefferson Lab, Newport News, Virginia
• V. V. Parkhomchuk, V. B. Reva
  BINP SB RAS, Novosibirsk
• A. O. Sidorin, A. V. Smirnov
  JINR, Dubna, Moscow Region

The physics interest in a luminosity upgrade of RHIC requires the development of a cooling-frontier facility. Detailed cooling calculations have been made to determine the efficacy of electron cooling of the stored RHIC beams. This has been followed by beam dynamics simulations to establish the feasibility of creating the necessary electron beam. Electron cooling of RHIC at collisions requires electron beam energy up to about 54 MeV at an average current of between 50 to 100 mA and a particularly bright electron beam. The accelerator chosen to generate this electron beam is a superconducting Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) with a superconducting RF gun with a laser-photocathode. An intensive experimental R&D program engages the various elements of the accelerator: Photocathodes of novel design, superconducting RF electron gun of a particularly high current and low emittance, a very high-current ERL cavity and a demonstration ERL using these components.