G. Tranquille

Measurement of the lifetime of Pb52+, Pb53+ and Pb54+ beams at 4.2 MeV per nucleon subject to electron cooling

Abstract By measuring the lifetime of stored beams, the recombination of the ions with cooling electrons was investigated. Rates found are larger than expected for radiative electron capture and significantly higher for Pb53+ than for Pb54+ and Pb52+. These results are important for the design of the lead ion injection system for the Large Hadron Collider and for recombination theories.

Further results and evaluation of electron cooling experiments at LEAR

Abstract First electron cooling experiments were performed with 10 7 to 2×10 9 stored antiprotons of 50, 21 and 6 MeV at the Low Energy Antiproton Ring (LEAR) at CERN. Most effort was put into the study of the longitudinal cooling. Schottky pick-up signals were used to measure the equilibrium momentum spread and the longitudinal cooling time. From the equilibrium between stochastic heating and electron cooling the longitudinal friction force in the low 10 3 m/s relative velocity range could be deduced. This method was used also to increase the cooling force by improving the alignment between the antiproton and the electron beam. Some of the experimental data are compared with results of a simulation program for electron cooling (SPEC).

Commissioning and first operation of the Antiproton Decelerator (AD)

The Antiproton Decelerator (AD) is a simplified source of antiprotons which provides low energy antiprotons for experiments, replacing four machines: AC (Antiproton Collector), AA (Antiproton Accumulator); PS and LEAR (Low Energy Antiproton Ring), shutdown in 1996. The former AC was modified to include deceleration and electron cooling. The AD started operation in July 2000 and has since delivered cooled beam at 100 MeV/c (kinetic energy of 5.3 MeV) to 3 experiments (ASACUSA, ATHENA and ATRAP) for 1500 h. The flux (up to 2.5 /spl times/ 10 pbar /s delivered in short pulses of 330 ns every 110 s) and the quality of the ejected beam are not far from the design specifications. A linear RF quadrupole decelerator (RFQD) was commissioned in November 2000 to post-decelerate the beam for ASACUSA from 5.3 MeV to about 15 keV. Problems encountered in converting the fixed energy AC into a decelerating machine will be outlined, and the present status of the AD, including the performance of the cooling systems and the special diagnostics to cope with beams of less than 10/sup 7/ pbars, will be reviewed. Possible future developments will be sketched.

GEM-based beam profile monitors for the antiproton decelerator

The new beam profile measurement for the Antiproton Decelerator (AD) at CERN is based on a single Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) with a 2D readout structure. This detector is very light, ~ 0.4% X0, as required by the low energy of the antiprotons, 5.3 MeV. This overcomes the problems previously encountered with multi-wire proportional chambers (MWPC) for the same purpose, where beam interactions with the detector severely affect the obtained profiles. A prototype was installed and successfully tested in late 2010, with another five detectors now installed in the ASACUSA and AEGIS beam lines. We will provide a detailed description of the detector and discuss the results obtained. The success of these detectors in the AD makes GEM-based detectors likely candidates for upgrade of the beam profile monitors in all experimental areas at CERN. The various types of MWPC currently in use are aging and becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

Status of the antiproton decelerator: AD

A simplified scheme for the provision of antiprotons at 100 MeV/c in fast extraction is described. The scheme uses the existing p production target area and the modified Antiproton Collector Ring in their current location. Some modifications necessary to deliver batches of 1 × 10 7 antiprotons every minute at 100 MeV/c are described, details of the machine layout and the experimental area in the existing AAC Hall are given.

Production of MeV antiprotons

In view of a future antihydrogen programme at CERN, the options for producing MeV antiprotons are revisited. The current limitations, operational performances and foreseen improvements are detailed. An alternative scheme using a dedicated machine for production and deceleration is also discussed.

The new collector for the electron cooling device at LEAR

Abstract An important aspect of the low-energy physics programme at LEAR is the use of electron cooling for phase-space compression of the circulating ion beam [1–3]. In order to improve the reliability of the cooling device, a new electron beam collector has been developed in a collaboration between CERN and CAPT (Centre of Applied Physics and Technology) Lipetsk. The collector is designed to recuperate 3.3 A of 35 keV electrons with an efficiency better than 99.99%. It was constructed at the INP (Institute of Nuclear Physics) Novosibirsk workshop in accordance with a design produced by CAPT and the electron cooling team at CERN. The vacuum and electrical test of the collector were performed at Lipetsk. The device is now installed at LEAR and has undergone first reception tests in the machine.

Overview of the recent operation of the AAC and LEAR for the low-energy antiproton physics programme

This paper reviews the recent performance of the AAC and LEAR. Activities on the AAC include the successful exploitation of a magnetic horn as an antiproton collector lens and an energy-saving mode of operation, which has been possible since 1992, when LEAR became the only client of the AAC. LEAR worked in its full momentum range between 100 MeV/c and 2 GeV/c, with performance (intensities, ejection modes and spill length) exceeding the design specifications. Improvements are described, which contributed to the quality of the beam delivered to experiments. The reliability and availability of the antiproton machines are also discussed.

The variable current gun: the parameter tests and the results of the first electron cooling experiments at LEAR

Abstract The electron cooling time (or equivalently the cooling force) is inversely proportional to the electron beam current Ib, aimed to cool hot low-energy ions [1–3]. On the other hand, highly cooled ions tend to become unstable. This implies that once the ion beam upper density limit is attained, the electron current intensity has to be reduced to a level which prevents the ion beam instability and maintains low emittances. An adiabatic-type gun [4–6] has been constructed, which provides low-temperature electrons of large, but variable densities. The electron current density is adjusted through the voltage control, Ug, of a so-called grid electrode. Its main drawback is the storage of secondary electrons when the grid potential is larger than the anode potential, thus inducing a reduction of the nominal electron current intensity. A detailed analysis of the storage process is presented, and the way to cure this drawback is explained. Finally, experimental results are given.

First Results of Electron Cooling Experiments at LEAR

The first results are presented of electron cooling experiments in the Low-Energy Antiproton Ring (LEAR) at CERN, performed with a proton beam of about 50 and 21 MeV. The number of stored protons ranged from 107 to 3 × 109. Cooling times of the order 1 s and proton drag rates of up to 0.7 MeV/s were obtained. The capture of cooling electrons by protons producing hydrogen atoms was used to derive an effective electron temperature (0.25 eV). From the angular profile of the neutral hydrogen beam an upper limit of 3π mm.mrad could be deduced for the horizontal equilibrium proton-beam emittance. The lowest equilibrium momentum spread was 2 × 105 (FWHM), as derived from the analysis of the longitudinal Schottky signal. This Schottky signal exhibited an unusual behaviour with beam intensity and under certain conditions showed a doublepeak structure which was associated with collective beam noise. For very cold beams transverse instabilities were observed, which resulted in a rapid spill-off of protons and a stabilization at lower intensities. The threshold of these instabilities was raised by heating the proton or the electron beam. The cooling of a bunched proton beam was investigated. The reduction of the proton momentum spread led to bunch lengths of about 2 m, containing 3 × 108 protons.