Extraction of 22 TeV/c lead ions from the CERN SPS using a bent silicon crystal

Abstract

The extraction of protons from the halo of a circulating beam has been repeatedly demonstrated at the SPS. In a recent experiment a coasting lead ion beam was available at a momentum of 270 GeV/c per charge corresponding to a total momentum of 22 TeV/c per ion and the possibility to extract ultrarelativistic lead ions with a bent crystal could be demonstrated for the first time. We present the experimental challenges, the measurements performed during this experiment and the first results.