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15 years of CW SRF operation at ELBE

Arnold, A.; Büchner, A.; Büttig, H.; Freitag, M.; Lehnert, U.; Michel, P.; Schneider, C.; Teichert, J.

ELBE is a compact, accelerator-driven photon and particle source. The variety of secondary radiation being offered extends from high-energy gamma rays to infrared and THz radiation as well as from neutrons to positrons and electrons. Since 2001 ELBE is operated as a user facility, providing more than 5500 hours of beamtime with an efficiency of more than 90% each year. The electron accelerator is based on four superconducting 9-cell TESLA cavities that are driven in CW operation to accelerate an average current of 1 mA up to beam energies of 40 MeV. Although these cavities performed well in the vertical test, they were limited by field emission from the very beginning to about 10 MV/m each. The reason is still unknown, but several candidates are being discussed. The prime suspect is particle contamination during cleanroom and beamline assembly but also a mechanism that allows particles to migrate from far away towards the cavity over an extended period of time might be possible. And also outgassing EPDM gaskets that are installed in the entire accelerator are a candidate for deterioration. Nevertheless, to ensure a reliable user operation, the performance of the cavities is determined in regular intervals by Q vs. E measurements and by means of high power RF processing and complete thermal cycling the performance could be partially returned to an earlier state. With the contribution we try to summarize our experiences in operating a superconducting CW LINAC over the last 15 years in an unclassified and probably dirty environment.

Keywords: CW; SRF; operation; ELBE; cryomodule

Related publications

  • Invited lecture (Conferences)
    Operating SRF systems reliably in a "dirty" accelerator, 14.-15.09.2017, Berlin, Deutschland
  • Invited lecture (Conferences)
    TESLA Technology Collaboration Meeting, 06.-09.02.2018, Mailand, Italien

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-27009
Publ.-Id: 27009