Ming-Jen Yang

The Fermilab Main Injector: high intensity operation and beam loss control

From 2005 through 2012, the Fermilab Main Injector provided intense beams of 120 GeV protons to produce neutrino beams and antiprotons. Hardware improvements in conjunction with improved diagnostics allowed the system to reach sustained operation at ~400 kW beam power. Transmission was very high except for beam lost at or near the 8 GeV injection energy where 95% beam transmission results in about 1.5 kW of beam loss. By minimizing and localizing loss, residual radiation levels fell while beam power was doubled. Lost beam was directed to either the collimation system or to the beam abort. Critical apertures were increased while improved instrumentation allowed optimal use of available apertures. We will summarize the improvements required to achieve high intensity, the impact of various loss control tools and the status and trends in residual radiation in the Main Injector.

A BPM calibration procedure using TBT data

Accurate BPM calibration is crucial for lattice analysis. It is also reassuring when the calibration can be independently verified. This paper outlines a procedure that can extract BPM calibration information from TBT orbit data. The procedure is developed as an extension to the Turn- By-Turn lattice analysis [1]. Its application to data from both Recycler Ring and Main Injector (MI) at Fermilab have produced very encouraging results. Some specifics in hardware design will be mentioned to contrast that of analysis results.

Operational aspects of the main injector large aperture quadrupole (WQB)

A two-year Large Aperture Quadrupole (WQB) Project was completed in the summer of 2006 at Fermilab. [1] Nine WQBs were designed, fabricated and bench-tested by the Technical Division. Seven of them were installed in the Main Injector and the other two for spares. They perform well. The aperture increase meets the design goal and the perturbation to the lattice is minimal. The machine acceptance in the injection and extraction regions is increased from 40pi to 60pi mm-mrad. This paper gives a brief report of the operation and performance of these magnets. Details can be found in Ref [2].

Lattice measurement for Fermilab main injector

The installation of seven large aperture quadrupoles during shut-down of 2006 necessitates new lattice measurements to evaluate the state of the machine lattice at energies critical to operation. For Main Injector (MI) this means at 8-GeV kinetic energy for proton and pbar injections, at 150-GeV extraction to Tevatron for collider operation,and at 120-GeV extraction to Numi for nutrino experiment and slow spill to fixed target test beam facility. The results of measurement at these three energies and their comparison to their corresponding calculations will be presented.

Studies of beam properties and main injector loss control using collimators in teh Fermilab booster to main injector transfer line

High intensity operation of the Fermilab Main Injector has resulted in increased activation of machine components. Efforts to permit operation at high power include creation of collimation systems to localize losses away from locations which require maintenance. As a first step, a collimation system to remove halo from the incoming beam was installed in the Spring 2006 Facility Shutdown [1]. We report on commissioning studies and operational experience including observations of Booster beam properties, effects on Main Injector loss and activation, and operational results.

Magnetic error analysis of recycler PBAR injection transfer line

Detailed study of Fermilab Recycler Ring anti-proton injection line became feasible with its BPM system upgrade, though the beamline has been in existence and operational since year 2000. Previous attempts were not fruitful due to limitations in the BPM system. Among the objectives are the assessment of beamline optics and the presence of error fields. In particular the field region of the permanent Lambertson magnets at both ends of R22 transfer line will be scrutinized.