High intensity beam dynamics assessment and challenges for HL-LHC

Abstract

The High Luminosity (HL-LHC) project aims to increase the integrated luminosity of CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) by an order of magnitude compared to its initial design. This requires a large increase in bunch intensity and beam brightness compared to the first three LHC runs, and hence poses serious collective-effects challenges, related in particular to electron cloud, instabilities from beam-coupling impedance, and beam-beam effects. Here, we present the associated constraints and the mitigation measures proposed to achieve the baseline performance of the upgraded LHC machine. We also discuss the interplay of these mitigation measures with other aspects of the accelerator, such as optics, physical and dynamic apertures, the collimation system, and crab cavities. Additional potential sources of intensity limitations are also briefly discussed.