Fermilab, Batavia, USA
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA
The Advanced Superconducting Test Acccelerator (ASTA) is being constructed at Fermilab. The existing New Muon Lab (NML) building is being converted for this facility. The accelerator will consist of an electron gun, injector, beam acceleration section consisting of 3 TTF-type or ILC-type cryomodules, multiple downstream beamlines for testing diagnostics and conducting various beam tests, and a high power beam dump. When completed, it is envisioned that this facility will initially be capable of generating a 750 MeV electron beam with ILC beam intensity. An expansion of this facility was recently completed that will provide the capability to upgrade the accelerator to a total beam energy of 1.5 GeV. Two new buildings were also constructed adjacent to the ASTA facility to house a new cryogenic plant and multiple superconducting RF (SRF) cryomodule test stands. In addition to testing accelerator components, this facility will be used to test RF power systems, instrumentation, and control systems for future SRF accelerators such as the ILC and Project-X. This paper describes the current status and overall plans for this facility.
Fermilab, Batavia, USA
A high energy beam absorber has been built for the Advanced Superconducting Test Accelerator (ASTA) at Fermilab. In the facility’s initial configuration, an electron beam will be accelerated through 3 TTF-type or ILC-type RF cryomodules to an energy of 750MeV. The electron beam will be directed to one of multiple downstream experimental and diagnostic beam lines and then deposited in one of two beam absorbers. The facility is designed to accommodate up to 6 cryomodules, which would produce a 75kW beam at 1.5GeV; this is the driving design condition for the beam absorbers. The beam absorbers consist of water-cooled graphite, aluminum and copper layers contained in a Helium-filled enclosure. This paper describes the mechanical implementation of the beam absorbers, with a focus on thermal design and analysis. In addition, the potential for radiation-induced degradation of the graphite is discussed.
Fermilab, Batavia, USA
The Project X Injector Experiment (PXIE) will be a prototype of the Project X front end that will be used to validate the design concept and decrease technical risks. One of the most challenging components of PXIE is the wide-band chopping system of the Medium Energy Beam Transport (MEBT) section, which will form an arbitrary bunch pattern from the initially CW 162.5 MHz 5mA beam. The present scenario assumes diverting 80% of the beam to an absorber to provide a beam with the average current of 1mA to SRF linac. This absorber must withstand a high level of energy deposition and high ion fluence, while being positioned in proximity of the superconductive cavities. This paper discusses design considerations for the absorber, including specific challenges as spreading of energy deposition, management of temperatures and temperature-induced mechanical stresses, radiation effects, surface effects (sputtering and blistering), and maintaining vacuum quality. Thermal and mechanical analyses of a conceptual design are presented, and future plans for the fabrication and testing of a prototype are described.