Beam Halo Research Articles

Beam loss simulations for the implementation of the Hard X-Ray Self-Seeding system at European XFEL

The European XFEL is designed to be operated with a nominal beam energy of 17.5 GeV at a maximum repetition rate of 27000 bunches/second. The high repetition rate together with the high loss sensitivity of the undulators raises serious radiation damage concern, especially for the implementation of the Hard X-ray Self-Seeding (HXRSS) system, where a 100 µm thick diamond crystal will be inserted close to the beam in the undulator section. Since the seeding power level highly depends on the delay of the electron beam with respect to the photon beam, it is crucial to define the minimum electron beam offset to the edge of the crystal in the HXRSS chicane. At European XFEL a ∼200 m long post-linac collimation section has been designed to protect the undulators. In the HXRSS scheme, however, beam halo particles hitting the crystal can generate additional radiation. Particle tracking simulations have been performed using GEANT4 and BDSIM for the undulator and the collimation section, respectively. The critical number of electrons allowed to hit the crystal is estimated for a certain operation mode and the efficiency of beam halo collimation is investigated to predict the minimum HXRSS chicane delay.

Numerical investigation of beam halo from beam gas scattering in KEK-ATF

To demonstrate the final focus schemes of the Future Linear Collider (FLC), the Accelerator Test Facility 2 (ATF2) at KEK is devoted to focus the beam to a RMS size of a few tens of nanometers (nm) vertically and to provide stability at the nm level at the virtual Interaction Point (IP). However, the loss of halo particles upstream will introduce background to the diagnostic instrument measuring the ultra-small beam, using a laser interferometer monitor. To help the realization of the above goals and beam operation, understanding and mitigation of beam halo are crucial. In this paper, we present the systematical simulation of beam halo formation from beam gas Coulomb scattering (BGS) in the ATF damping ring. The behavior of beam halo with various machine parameters is also discussed.

Collimation study for LCLS

In this paper we investigate the power deposition along the undulator section of the SLAC Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) due to the primary e−-beam but also due to potential secondary particles. The expected beam distribution after the LCLS injector is deliberately broadened as an approximated representation of the beam halo. Secondary particles, as e+, e− and photons, are generated as a result of tracking the intercepted beam through a dense material. This process is carried out by means of GEANT-4, which has been convoluted into our main tracking engine, LUCRETIA. Simulations show no losses along the undulator section when assuming the nominal primary beam and collimator gaps. However when opening the gaps of collimators located at the first collimator section, by 25%, the fattened beam is partially intercepted by the second collimator section, which is aligned to the undulators. Secondary particles, mostly photons generated at the second collimator section, deposit their energy along the undulator section, at a rate of the order of a milliwatt.

Beam halo study on the electron storage ring

AbstractHalo distribution is a key topic for background study. This paper has developed an analytical method to give an estimation of beam halo distribution in storage rings. This is a creative new theory. As an example, the equilibrium particle distribution of the beam tail in the Accelerator Test Facility damping ring is calculated analytically with different emittance and different vacuum degree. The analytical results agree the measurements very well. This is a general method, which can be applied to any electron rings.

Precise out-vacuum proton beam monitoring system based on vibrating wire

As an instrument for Korea Multi-purpose Accelerator Complex (KOMAC) facility proton beam profiling, a vibrating wire monitor (VWM) has been installed and tested at TR23 target room. Experiments were done at very low (100 nA) beam current conditions. At the number of particles about 1011 proton/train and trains repetition rate of 0.1 Hz we have measured the beam profile by a few scanning steps. The experience accumulated in these experiments turned out to be useful for the VWM upgrades (e. g. understanding interactions of protons with wire materials and heat transfer processes) and will be particularly helpful for the KOMAC beam halo measurements in the future high-current operation.

The CpFM, an in-vacuum Cherenkov beam monitor for UA9 at SPS

The use of bent crystals for beam manipulation in particle accelerators is a well-assessed concept rapidly evolving into practical application. The experiments of the UA9 collaboration at the CERN-SPS have played a key role for a quantitative understanding of channeling and volume reflection mechanisms. Investigation of the channeling process close to a circulating beam ideally requires in vacuum detectors resolving the single particle, which should be located inside the vacuum pipe itself. Cherenkov radiators are potential candidates for such functionality due the reduced electro-magnetic interaction of the radiator material with the circulating charges and their compatibility with vacuum requirements in the beam pipe. For this purpose, we developed a device called Cherenkov detector for proton Flux Measurement (CpFM) that aims at counting the number of deflected protons of the beam halo surrounding the circulating beam with an accuracy of 15%. After a detailed description of the detection chain and its simulation, we present results of beam tests of different configurations, the calibration of the final device and the results of its first operation in the SPS.

Thermal analysis and tests of W/Cu brazing for primary collimator scraper in CSNS/RCS

To the transverse beam collimation system in a rapid cycling synchrotron, an important component is the primary collimator, which improves emittance of the beam halo particles such that the particles outside the predefined trajectory can be absorbed by the secondary collimators. Given the material properties and power deposition distribution, the beam scraper of the primary collimator is a 0.17 mm tungsten foil on a double face-wedged copper block of 121.5 mm × 20 mm. The heat is transferred to the outside by a ϕ34 mm copper rod. In this paper, for minimizing brazing thermal stress, we report our theoretical analysis and tests on brazing the tungsten and copper materials which differ greatly in size. We show that the thermal stress effect can be controlled effectively by creating stress relief grooves on the copper block and inserting a tungsten transition layer into the copper block. This innovation contributes to the successful R&D of the primary collimator. And this study may be of help for working out a brazing plan of similar structures.

Study of low multiplicity electron source LEETECH with diamond detector

In this paper, we present experimental and numerical studies of the calibration of low-multiplicity electron source using signals from electrons incident on a diamond detector. The experiments were performed at the newly commissioned versatile LEETECH platform at the PHIL photoinjector facility at LAL. We show that with a single crystal CVD diamonds of 500 micrometers thickness, the energy losses from the first three electrons of 2.5–3 MeV are clearly resolved. The described technique can be used as a complementary approach for calibration of diamond detectors as well as for diagnostics of accelerated beam halos in a regime down to a few particles.

Higher order mode beams mitigate halos in high intensity proton linacs

High intensity proton linacs (HIPLs) for applications such as Accelerator Driven Reactor Systems (ADRS) have serious beam dynamics issues related to beam halo formation. This can lead to particle loss and radioactivation of the surroundings which consequently limit the beam current. Beam halos are largely driven by the nonlinear space-charge force of the beam, which depends strongly on the beam distribution and also on the initial beam mismatch. We propose here the use of a higher order mode beam (HOMB), that has a weaker nonlinear force, to mitigate beam halos. We first show how the nonlinear space-charge force can itself be exploited in the presence of nonlinear solenoid fields, to produce a HOMB in the low energy beam transport (LEBT) line. We then study the transport of such a beam through a radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ), and show that the HOMB has a significant advantage in terms of emittance blow-up, halo formation and beam loss, over a Gaussian beam, even with a finite initial mismatch. For example, for the transport of a 30 mA beam through the RFQ, with an initial beam mismatch of 45%, the Gaussian beam sees an emittance blow-up of 125%, while the HOMB sees a blow-up of only 35% (relative to the initial emittance of $0.2\ensuremath{\pi}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mm}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{mrad}$). Similarly, the beam halo parameter and beam loss are 0.95 and 25% respectively for a Gaussian beam, but only 0.35 and 15% for a HOMB. The beam dynamics of the HOMB agrees quite well with the particle-core model, because of the more linear space-charge force, while for the Gaussian beam there are additional particle loss mechanisms arising from nonlinear resonances. Therefore, the HOMB suppresses emittance blow-up and halo formation, and can make high current ADRS systems more viable.

Heavy-ion collisions in a fixed target mode at the LHC beams

The interaction of high-energy LHC beams with fixed target, including polarized nuclei targets, can expand the range of fundamental physical investigations accessible at CERN. High-intensity beam of protons and lead ions accumulated in the LHC collider allows to apply the gas-target system like the LHCb SMOG or HERMES systems. It is also possible to use the beam halo by placing in the halo the fixed target in the form of thin ribbon or use a bend crystal to extract the beam. In the extracted beam it is possible to install a polarized target. Using the proton and ion beams of the LHC with fixed targets, the data in the energy interval between maximum energy of the SPS and the nominal RHIC energy in p-A and A-A collisions could be obtained. The fixed target mode allows the intensive study of rare processes, the study of polarization phenomena, the measurements of the parameters needed to analyze the data of cosmic rays and neutrino astrophysics, detailed study of the processes of quarkonia production and suppression. The high statistics data on quarkonium production at these energies will give the possibility to clarify the mechanism of production, to investigate the importance of recombination process and the energy dependence on the phase transition of nuclear matter to the quark-gluon phase. Also the physical program includes the study of the Drell-Yan process, D-meson production, flow and spin physics.

Radiological Environmental Protection for LCLS-II High Power Operation

The LCLS-II superconducting electron accelerator at SLAC plans to operate at up to 4 GeV and 240 kW average power, which would create higher radiological impacts particularly near the beam loss points such as beam dumps and halo collimators. The main hazards to the public and environment include direct or skyshine radiation, effluent of radioactive air such as 13 N, 15 O and 41 Ar, and activation of groundwater creating tritium. These hazards were evaluated using analytic methods and FLUKA Monte Carlo code. The controls (mainly extensive bulk shielding and local shielding around high loss points) and monitoring (neutron/photon detectors with detection capabilities below natural background at site boundary, site-wide radioactive air monitors, and groundwater wells) were designed to meet the U.S. DOE and EPA, as well as SLAC requirements. The radiological design and controls for the LCW systems [including concrete housing shielding for 15 O and 11 C circulating in LCW, 7 Be and erosion/corrosion products (22 Na, 54 Mn, 60 Co, 65 Zn, etc.) captured in resin and filters, leak detection and containment of LCW with 3 H and its waste water discharge; explosion from H2 build-up in surge tank and release of radionuclides] associated with the high power beam dumps are also presented.

The practical Pomeron for high energy proton collimation

We present a model which describes proton scattering data from ISR to Tevatron energies, and which can be applied to collimation n high energy accelerators, such as the LHC and FCC. Collimators remove beam halo particles, so that they do not impinge on vulnerable regions of the machine, such as the superconducting magnets and the experimental areas. In simulating the effect of the collimator jaws it is crucial to model the scattering of protons at small momentum transfer~$t$,as these protons can subsequently survive several turns of the ring before being lost. At high energies these soft processes are well described by Pomeron exchange models. We study the behaviour of elastic and single-diffractive dissociation cross sections over a wide range of energy, and show that the model can be used as a global description of the wide variety of high energy elastic and diffractive data presently available. In particular it models low mass diffraction dissociation, where a rich resonance structure is present, and thus predicts the differential and integrated cross sections in the kinematical range appropriate to the LHC.We incorporate the physics of this model into the beam tracking code MERLIN and use it to simulate the resulting loss maps of the beam halo lost in the collimators in the LHC.

Beam profile monitor for intense, negative, hydrogen-ion beams in the J-PARC linac

Tracking the beam halo and its growth are essential to mitigate the beam dynamics problem in high-current accelerators. In the J-PARC linac, a beam halo has been reported to appear at the place of a mismatched magnet and/or an inaccurately set cavity. The beam loss becomes more significant as the beam’s output power increases. We developed a sensitive wire scanner monitor (WSM) to measure the transverse root-mean-squared (RMS) size of a negative hydrogen-ion beam for the transverse matching between quadrupole magnets. Although the dynamic range of 10+2 is sufficient to evaluate the RMS beam size, we set a dynamic range goal of 10+4 because we intend to observe the beam halo at the same time. We achieved a dynamic range over 10+4 by selecting a proper combination of wire material and diameter by considering the interactions between the beam and the wires. This enabled a measurement of the beam halo evolution in the linac. We discuss the mechanism that enabled the wider dynamic range compared with proton-beam WSMs. In addition, we propose a new chopper-phase-tuning method, which is realized because of the wide dynamic range of the WSM. This method may provide an accurate tuning scheme for not only the present operation but also the high-peak beam-current operation of the linac.

Design and Performance of the BCM1F Front End ASIC for the Beam Condition Monitoring System at the CMS Experiment

We present the design and the test results of the BCM1F front end ASIC designed for readout of diamond sensors used in the Beam Condition Monitoring system at the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment built in the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva. The design comprises a fast transimpedance preamplifier with active feedback, a shaper stage and high–performance differential output buffer. The front end amplifier shows good linearity for input charges below 7 fC, signal gain of about 50 mV/fC, equivalent noise charge (ENC) around 400 e− for 2 pF and less than 700 e− for 5 pF input capacitance. The measured peaking time ( $ \mathrm {T}_{\mathrm {p}} $ ) is in the range from 6.6 to 9.4 ns depending on the applied bias conditions and the input capacitance. The full–width–at–half–maximum (FWHM) of the response is kept below 10 ns, which allows for efficient beam halo detection. The return time after the detector signal overdrive is maintained below 25 ns. These two latter parameters make the presented circuit compatible with high data rate applications.

Effects of Coherent Synchrotron Radiation in Bunch Compressor of TARLA

High order and non-linear effects in accelerator beamline play an important role in the transport of the beam. These effects cause variation of designed beam parameters such as emittance growth, bunch length variation, beam halo formation, etc. One of the known non-linear effects in bunch compressors is the coherent synchrotron radiation effect. In this study we focus on coherent synchrotron radiation effect in Turkish Accelerator and Radiation Laboratory in Ankara (TARLA) machine which is designed to drive Infrared Free Electron Laser, covering the range of 3–250 μm. We additionally discuss high order effects in bunch compressor of TARLA.

In vacuum diamond sensor scanner for beam halo measurements in the beam line at the KEK Accelerator Test Facility

The investigation of beam halo transverse distributions is important for the understanding of beam losses and the control of backgrounds in Future Linear Colliders (FLC). A novel in vacuum diamond sensor (DSv) scanner with four strips has been designed and developed for the investigation of the beam halo transverse distributions and also for the diagnostics of Compton recoil electrons after the interaction point (IP) of ATF2, a low energy (1.3GeV) prototype of the final focus system for the ILC and CLIC linear collider projects. Using the DSv, a dynamic range of ∼106 has been successfully demonstrated and confirmed for the first time in simultaneous beam core (∼109 electrons) and beam halo (∼103 electrons) measurements at ATF2. This report presents the characterization, performance studies and tests of diamond sensors using an α source, as well as using the electron beams at PHIL, a low energy <5MeV photo-injector at LAL, and at ATF2. First beam halo measurement results using the DSv at ATF2 with different beam intensities and vacuum levels are also presented. Such measurements not only allow one to evaluate the different sources of beam halo generation but also to define the requirements for a suitable collimation system to be installed at ATF2, as well as to optimize its performance during future operation.

SU‐F‐T‐155: Validation of a Commercial Monte Carlo Dose Calculation Algorithm for Proton Therapy

Purpose:Compare proton pencil beam scanning dose measurements to GATE/GEANT4 (GMC) and RayStation™ Monte Carlo (RMC) simulations.Methods:Proton pencil beam models of the IBA gantry at the Seattle Proton Therapy Center were developed in the GMC code system and a research build of the RMC. For RMC, a preliminary beam model that does not account for upstream halo was used. Depth dose and lateral profiles are compared for the RMC, GMC and a RayStation™ pencil beam dose (RPB) model for three spread out Bragg peaks (SOBPs) in homogenous water phantom. SOBP comparisons were also made among the three models for a phantom with a (i) 2 cm bone and a (ii) 0.5 cm titanium insert.Results:Measurements and GMC estimates of R80 range agree to within 1 mm, and the mean point‐to‐point dose difference is within 1.2% for all integrated depth dose (IDD) profiles. The dose differences at the peak are 1 to 2%. All of the simulated spot sigmas are within 0.15 mm of the measured values. For the three SOBPs considered, the maximum R80 deviation from measurement for GMC was −0.35 mm, RMC 0.5 mm, and RPB −0.1 mm. The minimum gamma pass using the 3%/3mm criterion for all the profiles was 94%. The dose comparison for heterogeneous inserts in low dose gradient regions showed dose differences greater than 10% at the distal edge of interface between RPB and GMC. The RMC showed improvement and agreed with GMC to within 7%.Conclusion:The RPB dosimetry show clinically significant differences (&gt; 10%) from GMC and RMC estimates. The RMC algorithm is superior to the RPB dosimetry in heterogeneous media. We suspect modelling of the beam's halo may be responsible for a portion of the remaining discrepancy and that RayStation will reduce this discrepancy as they finalize the release.Erik Traneus is employed as a Research Scientist at RaySearch Laboratories. The research build of the RayStation TPS used in the study was made available to the SCCA free of charge. RaySearch did not provide any monetary support other than a license to use the research build of the TPS.

Development of Lambertson Magnet and Septum Magnets for Splitting 30-GeV Proton Beam in Hadron Experimental Facility at J-PARC

We developed a Lambertson magnet and two septum magnets as the splitting devices for the new beamline at the Hadron Experimental Facility in J-PARC. This new beamline, now under construction, is called high-p/COMET beamline, and the experiments using 30- and 8-GeV proton beams are planned. The required functions of the splitting devices are as follows: to split a small fraction (around 10−4) of the 30-GeV proton beam into the high-p/COMET beamline (30-GeV mode) and to bend all of the 8-GeV proton beam into the high-p/COMET beamline (8-GeV mode). These two requirements are met by adjusting the vertical beam position at the entrance of the Lambertson magnet. In 30-GeV mode, the Lambertson magnet is used to scrape the beam halo of the proton beam and bend the beam into the high-p/COMET beamline. The beam loss at the Lambertson magnet is inevitable; thus, the magnet must be resistant to the radiation and heat caused by the beam loss. The magnet is composed of nonorganic materials only and equipped with two water pipes to remove the heat induced by the beam loss. The branched beam is bent further by two septum magnets at the downstream of the Lambertson magnet. The construction and the magnetic field measurements of these devices were completed in March 2015, and the installation into the beamline is planned for the summer of year 2017.

Observation of channeling for 6500 GeV/ c protons in the crystal assisted collimation setup for LHC

Abstract Two high-accuracy goniometers equipped with two bent silicon crystals were installed in the betatron cleaning insertion of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) during its long shutdown. First beam tests were recently performed at the LHC with 450 GeV/ c and 6500 GeV/ c stored proton beams to investigate the feasibility of beam halo collimation assisted by bent crystals. For the first time channeling of 6500 GeV/ c protons was observed in a particle accelerator. A strong reduction of beam losses due to nuclear inelastic interactions in the aligned crystal in comparison with its amorphous orientation was detected. The loss reduction value was about 24. Thus, the results show that deflection of particles by a bent crystal due to channeling is effective for this record particle energy.

Energy loss distributions of 7 TeV protons axially channeled in the bent 〈1 1 0〉 Si crystal

In this article, the energy loss distributions of relativistic protons axially channeled in the bent 〈110〉 Si crystal are studied. The crystal thickness is equal to 1mm, which corresponds to the reduced crystal thickness, Λ, equal to 1.22, whereas the bending angle, α, was varied from 0 to 30μrad. The proton energy of 7TeV was chosen in accordance with the concept of using the bent crystals as a tool for selective deflection of the beam halo particles from the LUA9 experiment at LHC. For the continuum interaction potential of the proton and the crystal the Molière’s expression was used and the energy loss of a proton was calculated by applying the trajectory dependent stopping power model. Further, the uncertainness of the scattering angle of the proton caused by its collisions with the electrons of the crystal and the divergence of the proton beam were taken into account. The energy loss distribution of the channeled protons was obtained via the numerical solution of the proton equations of motion in the transverse plane and the computer simulation method. The analysis of the obtained theoretical data shows that the shape of the energy loss distribution strongly depends on the horizontal or vertical direction of the curvature of the crystal. The number of dechanneled protons as a function of the bending angle also strongly depends on the direction of the crystal’s curvature. As a result, the dechanneling rates and ranges, obtained from the Gompertz type sigmoidal fitting functions, have different sets of values for different bending orientations. We have also studied the influence of the proton beam divergence on the energy loss distribution of channeled protons.