Aluminium ultrahigh vacuum system for the 3 GeV TPS synchrotron light source

Abstract

The 3-GeV Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) is a large accelerator and synchrotron light source of circumference 518.4 m. The electron storage ring of TPS requires an ultrahigh-vacuum pressure per beam current less than 2×10−10 Pa/mA in the beam duct to maintain a long life of the circulating beam without scattering of ions by residual gases. Aluminium alloys used for the beam ducts have a benefit of greater thermal conductivity that simplifies the structure of vacuum vessels built with the cooling components. Machining completely free of oil applied to the aluminium chambers followed by cleaning with ozonized water and welding in house provide a precise dimensional control within 0.3 mm and a clean surface with a small rate ~ 6.4×10−12 Pa m/s of thermal outgassing after baking at 150 °C for 24 h. The assembled ion pump with non-evaporable getter pump is capable of evacuating the chamber to a pressure < 1×10−9 Pa. The average pressure inside the duct is expected to be sufficiently small. The clean process to manufacture the aluminium ultrahigh vacuum system is described.