Philip Burrows

Abstract:

The Advanced Wakefield (AWAKE) Experiment is a proof-of-principle experiment demonstrating the acceleration of electron beams via proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration. AWAKE Run 2 aims to build on the results of Run 1 by achieving higher energies with an improved beam quality. As part of the upgrade to Run 2, the existing proton and electron beamlines will be adapted and a second plasma cell and new 150-MeV electron beamline will be added. The specification for this new 150-MeV beamline will be challenging as it will be required to inject electron bunches with micron-level beam size and stability into the second plasma cell while being subject to tight spatial constraints. In this paper, we describe the techniques used (e.g., numerical optimizers and genetic algorithms) to produce the design of this electron line. We present a comparison of the methods used in this paper with other optimization algorithms commonly used within accelerator physics. Operational techniques are also studied including steering and alignment methods utilizing numerical optimizers and beam measurement techniques employing neural networks. We compare the performance of algorithms for online optimization and beam-based alignment in terms of their efficiency and effectiveness.

Abstract:

Plasma wakefield acceleration is a promising technology to reduce the size of particle accelerators. The use of high energy protons to drive wakefields in plasma has been demonstrated during Run 1 of the AWAKE programme at CERN. Protons of energy 400 GeV drove wakefields that accelerated electrons to 2 GeV in under 10 m of plasma. The AWAKE collaboration is now embarking on Run 2 with the main aims to demonstrate stable accelerating gradients of 0.5–1 GV/m, preserve emittance of the electron bunches during acceleration and develop plasma sources scalable to 100s of metres and beyond. By the end of Run 2, the AWAKE scheme should be able to provide electron beams for particle physics experiments and several possible experiments have already been evaluated. This article summarises the programme of AWAKE Run 2 and how it will be achieved as well as the possible application of the AWAKE scheme to novel particle physics experiments.

Abstract:

A long, narrow, relativistic charged particle bunch propagating in plasma is subject to the selfmodulation (SM) instability. We show that SM of a proton bunch can be seeded by the wakefields driven by a preceding electron bunch. SM timing reproducibility and control are at the level of a small fraction of the modulation period. With this seeding method, we independently control the amplitude of the seed wakefields with the charge of the electron bunch and the growth rate of SM with the charge of the proton bunch. Seeding leads to larger growth of the wakefields than in the instability case.

Abstract:

A new, low-energy branch is being designed for the H2 beamline at the CERN North Experimental Area. This new low-energy branch would extend the capabilities of the current infrastructure enabling the study of particles in the low, 1–13 GeV/c, momentum range. The first experiment to profit from this new line will be NA61/SHINE (SPS Heavy Ion and Neutrino Experiment), a multi-purpose experiment studying hadron production in hadron-proton, hadron-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions at the SPS. However, other future fixed target experiments or test-beam experiments installed in the downstream zones could also benefit from the lowenergy particles provided. The proposed layout and expected performance of this line, along with estimates of particle rates, and considerations on the technical implementation of the beamline are presented in this contribution. A description on the instrumentation, which will enable particle-byparticle tagging, crucial for the experiments scope, is also discussed.

Abstract:

We present an initiative to foster new ideas about the applications of accelerators to the Environment. Called "Challenge Based Innovation" this initiative will gather four teams each of six master-level students each coming from different academic backgrounds. As part of the EU-funded I.FAST project (Innovation Fostering in Accelerator Science and Technology), they will gather during 10 days in Archamps near CERN to receive high level lectures on accelerators and the environment and to brainstorm on possible new applications of accelerators for the environment. At the end of the gathering, they will present their project at CERN to a jury made of experts.