Large Hadron Collider Collimation Research Articles

HL-LHC layout for fixed-target experiments in ALICE based on crystal-assisted beam halo splitting

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator colliding beams of protons and lead ions at energies up to 7 Z TeV, where Z is the atomic number. ALICE is one of the experiments optimised for heavy-ion collisions. A fixed-target experiment in ALICE is being considered to collide a portion of the beam halo, split using a bent crystal inserted in the transverse hierarchy of the LHC collimation system, with an internal target placed a few metres upstream of the existing detector. This study is carried out as a part of the Physics Beyond Collider effort at CERN. Fixed-target collisions offer many physics opportunities related to hadronic matter and the quark-gluon plasma to extend the research potential of the CERN accelerator complex. Production of physics events depends on the particle flux on the target. The machine layout for the fixed-target experiment is developed to provide a flux of particles on the target high enough to exploit the full capabilities of the ALICE detector acquisition system. This paper summarises the fixed-target layout consisting of the crystal assembly, the target and the downstream absorbers. We discuss the conceptual integration of these elements within the LHC ring, the impact on ring losses, and expected performance in terms of particle flux on target.

A closed loop system to control transverse deformations in LHC collimators

This work presents a novel closed-loop control system for the detection and control of thermal deformations integrated in the secondary collimators of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Interactions between spurious particles lost transversally from the circulating beam core and the collimator jaws that make up the active area of the collimator will result in thermally induced deformations in those jaws. This interaction can push the jaw’s straightness out of the tolerance and force the jaw either into the beam core or away from it. This action can result in reductions in beam cleaning efficiency and increases in impedance on the beam. Whilst deformations in either direction are to be avoided, deformations into the beam are considered more of an issue as too much deformation can provoke beam dumps if beam losses are too high. To minimize this unavoidable thermal effect a novel adaptive closed-loop monitoring and actuation system, comprising of multiple intrinsic Fabry–Pérot interferometric (IFPI) optical sensors, and several integrated piezoelectric stack actuators, has been developed. When operating, this system can transiently monitor the jaws straightness and when required correct for deformations up to 500μm. In addition, subsequent steps to use this system as an active damper to reduce vibratory response, as experienced when the jaw undergoes a direct beam impact, are also discussed.

Impact of betatron collimation losses in the High-Energy Large Hadron Collider

In response to recommendations in the 2013 update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics, a conceptual design effort for an energy upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, the so-called high-energy LHC (HE-LHC), was launched as part of the Future Circular Collider study. The HE-LHC machine, which is meant to use 16 T magnet technologies in the existing LHC tunnel, would provide proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 27 TeV ($\ensuremath{\sim}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{LHC}$) with a total stored energy of 1.34 GJ ($\ensuremath{\sim}4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{LHC}$) per beam. By adapting the LHC collimation system, a first layout of the HE-LHC's betatron cleaning insertion was conceived, with the requirement to sustain---for at least 10 seconds---the impact of about 1.86 MW, corresponding to a beam lifetime of 12 minutes, without inducing any magnet quench nor any damage to other accelerator components. In this article, we evaluate the power deposition on the collimation insertion for proton beam operation in the HE-LHC machine at top energy, by means of particle tracking and interaction calculations. The beam loss effects on the warm elements as well as on the superconducting dispersion suppressor magnets are assessed through a three-step simulation approach. In particular, for the proposed future high-energy LHC, we demonstrate the necessity of adding local collimators in the dispersion suppressor, and we uncover the harmful consequences of a potential removal of the beam line ``dogleg'' in the collimation insertion.

Quench Protection Study of a 11 T Nb3Sn Model Dipole for the High Luminosity LHC

The planned upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider collimation system requires the installation of 11 T Nb 3 Sn dipole magnets in the dispersion suppressor areas. Due to the large stored energy density and the low copper stabilizer section, the quench protection of these magnets is particularly challenging. The baseline protection scheme after installation in the main dipole circuit is based on quench heaters and a bypass diode. The maximum allowable temperature during quench has a primary importance. In one of the latest short model magnets, full protection studies were performed up to a quench integral and hot spot temperatures well beyond the design value in order to understand the limits. Measurements are compared to electro-transient and thermo-mechanical models to evaluate quench propagation, temperature rise in the conductor, and thermal stress due to temperature gradients in the coil and surrounding structure.

Electrical Metrological Characterization of Ironless Inductive Position Sensors With Long Cables

The ironless inductive position sensor (I2PS) is an air-cored, high-precision linear position sensor, which is designed to be immune from external magnetic fields and to work in radioactive environments. It can thus be used as a valid alternative to the linear variable differential transformer (LVDT), which unfortunately exhibits a position error in magnetic environments. These two sensors are used to determine the position of the European Organization for Nuclear Research Large Hadron Collider collimator’s jaws with respect to the particle beam. Because of radiation presence in CERN accelerators, the I2PS has been designed to have no on-board electronics, the raw signal has to be carried through long cable lengths, and this may lead to performance degradation. This paper focuses on the electrical metrological characterization of the I2PS with long cables. A set of experimental measurements are conducted to assess the I2PS’ sensitivity to cable capacitance change. To gain a better understanding, a comparison with a commercial off-the-shelf LVDT is presented where required. This paper also presents a novel spice simulation that models the I2PS sensor and its electronics. Furthermore, a novel countermeasure circuit is presented to rectify the effects of capacitance change.

A conceptual solution for a beam halo collimation system for the Future Circular hadron–hadron Collider (FCC-hh)

We present the first conceptual solution for a collimation system for the hadron–hadron option of the Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh). The collimation layout is based on the scaling of the present Large Hadron Collider collimation system to the FCC-hh energy and it includes betatron and momentum cleaning, as well as dump protection collimators and collimators in the experimental insertions for protection of the final focus triplet magnets. An aperture model for the FCC-hh is defined and the geometrical acceptance is calculated at injection and collision energy taking into account mechanical and optics imperfections. The performance of the system is then assessed through the analysis of normalized halo distributions and complete loss maps for an ideal lattice. The performance limitations are discussed and a solution to improve the system performance with the addition of dispersion suppression collimators around the betatron cleaning insertion is presented.

Frequency response characterization of ironless inductive position sensors with long cables

The two linear position sensors used to determine the position of the European Organization for Nuclear Research; Large Hadron Collider collimator’s jaws with respect to the beam are the linear variable differential transformer and the ironless inductive position sensor. The latter was designed as an alternative to the former since the linear variable differential transformer exhibits a position error in magnetic environments. The ironless inductive position sensor is an air cored, high-precision linear position sensor, which is by design immune to external DC or slowly varying magnetic fields. Since the ironless inductive position sensor is required to have no on-board electronics, the raw signal has to be carried through long cable lengths and this may lead to performance degradation. This paper focuses on a set of experimental measurements conducted to assess the ironless inductive position sensor’s sensitivity at different frequencies with long cable lengths. This is critical for the sensor`s correct operation in the Large Hadron Collider`s collimators. Furthermore, to gain a better understanding, the ironless inductive position sensor’s frequency response is compared with a commercial off-the-shelf linear variable differential transformer.

Design and implementation of a crystal collimation test stand at the Large Hadron Collider

Future upgrades of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) demand improved cleaning performance of its collimation system. Very efficient collimation is required during regular operations at high intensities, because even a small amount of energy deposited on superconducting magnets can cause an abrupt loss of superconducting conditions (quench). The possibility to use a crystal-based collimation system represents an option for improving both cleaning performance and impedance compared to the present system. Before relying on crystal collimation for the LHC, a demonstration under LHC conditions (energy, beam parameters, etc.) and a comparison against the present system is considered mandatory. Thus, a prototype crystal collimation system has been designed and installed in the LHC during the Long Shutdown 1 (LS1), to perform feasibility tests during the Run 2 at energies up to 6.5 TeV. The layout is suitable for operation with proton as well as heavy ion beams. In this paper, the design constraints and the solutions proposed for this test stand for feasibility demonstration of crystal collimation at the LHC are presented. The expected cleaning performance achievable with this test stand, as assessed in simulations, is presented and compared to that of the present LHC collimation system. The first experimental observation of crystal channeling in the LHC at the record beam energy of 6.5 TeV has been obtained in 2015 using the layout presented (Scandale et al., Phys Lett B 758:129, 2016). First tests to measure the cleaning performance of this test stand have been carried out in 2016 and the detailed data analysis is still on-going.

The 11 T Dipole for HL-LHC: Status and Plan

The upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collimation system includes additional collimators in the LHC lattice. The longitudinal space for these collimators will be created by replacing some of the LHC main dipoles with shorter but stronger dipoles compatible with the LHC lattice and main systems. The project plan comprises the construction of two cryoassemblies containing each of the two 11-T dipoles of 5.5-m length for possible installation on either side of interaction point 2 of LHC in the years 2018–2019 for ion operation, and the installation of two cryoassemblies on either side of interaction point 7 of LHC in the years 2023–2024 for proton operation. The development program conducted in conjunction between the Fermilab and CERN magnet groups is progressing well. The development activities carried out on the side of Fermilab were concluded in the middle of 2015 with the fabrication and test of a 1-m-long two-in-one model and those on the CERN side are ramping up with the construction of 2-m-long models and the preparation of the tooling for the fabrication of the first full-length prototype. The engineering design of the cryomagnet is well advanced, including the definition of the various interfaces, e.g., with the collimator, powering, protection, and vacuum systems. Several practice coils of 5.5-m length have been already fabricated. This paper describes the overall progress of the project, the final design of the cryomagnet, and the performance of the most recent models. The overall plan toward the fabrication of the series magnets for the two phases of the upgrade of the LHC collimation system is also presented.

Performance Analysis of the Ironless Inductive Position Sensor in the Large Hadron Collider Collimators Environment.

The Ironless Inductive Position Sensor (I2PS) has been introduced as a valid alternative to Linear Variable Differential Transformers (LVDTs) when external magnetic fields are present. Potential applications of this linear position sensor can be found in critical systems such as nuclear plants, tokamaks, satellites and particle accelerators. This paper analyzes the performance of the I2PS in the harsh environment of the collimators of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), where position uncertainties of less than 20 µm are demanded in the presence of nuclear radiation and external magnetic fields. The I2PS has been targeted for installation for LHC Run 2, in order to solve the magnetic interference problem which standard LVDTs are experiencing. The paper describes in detail the chain of systems which belong to the new I2PS measurement task, their impact on the sensor performance and their possible further optimization. The I2PS performance is analyzed evaluating the position uncertainty (on 30 s), the magnetic immunity and the long-term stability (on 7 days). These three indicators are assessed from data acquired during the LHC operation in 2015 and compared with those of LVDTs.

Estimation of stepping motor current from long distances through cable-length-adaptive piecewise affine virtual sensor

<p>In this paper a piecewise affine virtual sensor is used for the estimation of the motor-side current of hybrid stepper motors, which actuate the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) collimators at CERN. The estimation is performed starting from measurements of the current in the driver, which is connected to the motor by a long cable (up to 720 m). The measured current is therefore affected by noise and ringing phenomena. The proposed method does not require a model of the cable, since it is only based on measured data and can be used with cables of different length. A circuit architecture suitable for FPGA implementation has been designed and the effects of fixed point representation of data are analyzed.</p>

Impact evaluation of environmental and geometrical parasitic effects on high-precision position measurement of the LHC collimator jaws

Measuring the apertures of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collimators, as well as the positions of their axes, is a challenging task. The LHC collimators are equipped with high-precision linear position sensors, the linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs). The accuracy of such sensors is limited by the peculiar parasitic effect of being rather sensitive to external magnetic fields. A new type of inductive sensor, the Ironless Inductive Position Sensor (I2PS), that keeps the advantages of the LVDTs but is insensitive to external magnetic fields has been designed, constructed, and tested at CERN. For this sensor, a detailed description of parasitic effects such as high-frequency capacitances and the presence of conductive shields and electric motor, in the surroundings is given, from analytical, numerical, and experimental viewpoints. In addition, proof is given of the I2PS’s radiation hardness. The aim of this paper is to give a complete and exhaustive impact evaluation, from the metrological viewpoint, of these parasitic effects on these two fundamental sensor solutions.

Thermomechanical response of Large Hadron Collider collimators to proton and ion beam impacts

Thermomechanical response of Large Hadron Collider collimators to proton and ion beam impacts

Thermomechanical assessment of the effects of a jaw-beam angle during beam impact on Large Hadron Collider collimators

The correct functioning of a collimation system is crucial to safely and successfully operate high-energy particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). However, the requirements to handle high-intensity beams can be demanding, and accident scenarios must be well studied in order to assess if the collimator design is robust against possible error scenarios. One of the catastrophic, though not very probable, accident scenarios identified within the LHC is an asynchronous beam dump. In this case, one (or more) of the 15 precharged kicker circuits fires out of time with the abort gap, spraying beam pulses onto LHC machine elements before the machine protection system can fire the remaining kicker circuits and bring the beam to the dump. If a proton bunch directly hits a collimator during such an event, severe beam-induced damage such as magnet quenches and other equipment damage might result, with consequent downtime for the machine. This study investigates a number of newly defined jaw error cases, which include angular misalignment errors of the collimator jaw. A numerical finite element method approach is presented in order to precisely evaluate the thermomechanical response of tertiary collimators to beam impact. We identify the most critical and interesting cases, and show that a tilt of the jaw can actually mitigate the effect of an asynchronous dump on the collimators. Relevant collimator damage limits are taken into account, with the aim to identify optimal operational conditions for the LHC.

Successive approximation algorithm for beam-position-monitor-based LHC collimator alignment

Collimators with embedded beam position monitor (BPM) button electrodes will be installed in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) during the current long shutdown period. For the subsequent operation, BPMs will allow the collimator jaws to be kept centered around the beam orbit. In this manner, a better beam cleaning efficiency and machine protection can be provided at unprecedented higher beam energies and intensities. A collimator alignment algorithm is proposed to center the jaws automatically around the beam. The algorithm is based on successive approximation and takes into account a correction of the nonlinear BPM sensitivity to beam displacement and an asymmetry of the electronic channels processing the BPM electrode signals. A software implementation was tested with a prototype collimator in the Super Proton Synchrotron. This paper presents results of the tests along with some considerations for eventual operation in the LHC.

Low uncertainty position transducers for the LHC collimators: tutorial 49

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the largest particle accelerator ever built. The transverse energy density of the nominal beam is 1000 times higher than what was previously achieved in proton storage rings. Tiny fractions of the stored beam suffice to quench a super-conducting LHC magnet (i.e., a situation where part of the magnet exits the superconducting state) or even to destroy parts of the accelerator. The energy in the two LHC beams is sufficient to melt almost one ton of copper.

DSP Based Smart Sensorless Stepping Motor Driver for LHC Collimators

In this paper, the real-time architecture of a Digital Signal Processor based sensorless stepping motor driver, capable of driving a motor through long power cables and estimating its position and load torque, is described. The testbench developed in order to test its performance when driving an axis of a Large Hadron Collider collimator is presented, along with the results achieved. It is shown that the proposed driver is capable of achieving position and load torque estimates which allow step loss to be detected and mechanical degradation to be evaluated without the need for physical sensors.

Sources of machine-induced background in the ATLAS and CMS detectors at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

One source of experimental background in the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is particles entering the detectors from the machine. These particles are created in cascades, caused by upstream interactions of beam protons with residual gas molecules or collimators. We estimate the losses on the collimators with SixTrack and simulate the showers with FLUKA and MARS to obtain the flux and distribution of particles entering the ATLAS and CMS detectors. We consider some machine configurations used in the first LHC run, with focus on 3.5TeV operation as in 2011. Results from FLUKA and MARS are compared and a very good agreement is found. An analysis of logged LHC data provides, for different processes, absolute beam loss rates, which are used together with further simulations of vacuum conditions to normalize the results to rates of particles entering the detectors. We assess the relative importance of background from elastic and inelastic beam–gas interactions, and the leakage out of the LHC collimation system, and show that beam–gas interactions are the dominating source of machine-induced background for the studied machine scenarios. Our results serve as a starting point for the experiments to perform further simulations in order to estimate the resulting signals in the detectors.

Outgassing measurement of an LHC collimator and estimation for the NEG performances

The outgassing rate of the collimators in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN has an important role for the life-time of the Non-Evaporable Getter (NEG), and an accurate analysis allows the definition of future activities, like NEG vacuum activation. For these reasons, both, total outgassing rate and gas composition of a secondary collimator have been measured in the laboratory. The outgassing rate decreases by about two orders of magnitude by after bake-out and moreover, repeated bake-out further reduced the outgassing rate. The gas transmission through the NEG coated beam pipes and the resulting pressure distributions near the collimator were also measured in a dedicated setup. It is found that the main gas component after just 2 m of NEG coated beam pipe is CH 4 due to the extreme pumping speed of NEG for the other gases. Large amount of outgassing for H 2 and carbon related molecules are released when moving the collimator jaws. It is found that the NEG is very effective even in such case with large gas load.

Crab dispersion and its impact on the CERN Large Hadron Collider collimation

Crab cavities are proposed to be used for a luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Crab cavities are rf cavities operated in a transverse dipole mode, which imparts on the beam particles a transverse kick that varies with the longitudinal position along the bunch. The crab cavity introduces another kind of dispersion to the particles which is $z$ dependent, and thus could complicate the beam dynamics and have an impact on the LHC collimation system. As for LHC, the off-momentum beta-beat and dispersion-beat already compromise the performance of the collimation system; the crab dispersion introduced by global crab cavities might do the same, and should be carefully evaluated. In this paper, we present a definition for the crab dispersion, and study its impact on the LHC collimation system.