Status of injection upgrade studies for the isis synchrotron
Warsop CM., Adams DJ., Findlay DJS., Gardner ISK., Jago SJS., Jones B., Mathieson RJ., Pasternak J., Payne SJ., Pine BG., Prior CR., Rees GH., Seville A., Smith HV., Thomason JWG., Williamson RE.
ISIS is the spallation neutron source at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK. Operation centres on a high intensity proton accelerator, consisting of a 70 MeV linac and an 800 MeV rapid cycling synchrotron, which provides a beam power of 0.2 MW. Obsolescence issues are motivating plans to replace the ageing 70 MeV linac, and this paper summarises the status of studies looking at how a new, higher energy linac (~180 MeV) could be used to increase beam power in the existing synchrotron. Reduced space charge and optimised injection might allow beam powers in the 0.5 MW regime, thus providing a very cost effective upgrade. The key areas of study are: design of the injection straight; injection painting and dynamics; foil specifications; acceleration dynamics; transverse space charge; instabilities; RF beam loading; and activation. Results from work on many of these topics suggest that beam powers of ~0.5 MW may well be possible, but a number of areas still present significant challenges. Results and recent progress are summarised. Copyright © 2011 by IPAC'11/EPS-AG.