Global Alignment survey

Additional data for the alignment survey have been collected with highest priority to complete the missing points and improve the accuracy of measurements. The attention is focused in the portions at the end of RFQ and beginning of MEBT. In parallel to the analyses of the data, a procedure to eventually realign those parts is under investigation.

Radio Frequency (RF) System and RFQ cavity                                                             

The start-up of the RF system with the calibration of the LLRF (Low Level RF) and the RF chains continued. The focus was the calibration of the Anode boxes and the installation of Low Pass Filters into the PSYS-LLRF interface boards. Check-out of the RFQ cavity with RF injection is pending the completions of these activities.

Beam Dump

As part of the BD skid commissioning, the update of the PLC software for the BD cooling skid has started with remote support by CIEMAT.

Control System

The Control System team is coordinating the work and ensuring the support of all the teams to complete the preparation of the new Central Control Room for the next beam commissioning and conditioning.

Disclaimer: the information reported is not meant to be technically complete and doesn’t cover all the activities currently carried out on LIPAc. 

Global Alignment survey

The analyses of the data collected during the global alignment survey of the entire LIPAc accelerator has been completed. Additional measurements of the first RFQ module and of one HEBT magnet are on-going to assess if realignment is necessary.

Radio Frequency (RF) System and RFQ cavity                                                             

The start-up of the RF system with the calibration of the LLRF (Low Level RF) and the RF chains continued this week. The behaviour of the RF cavity during first trials of RF injection is checked as a part of training program.

HEBT (High Energy Beam transport) commissioning

The backup PS for the dipole magnet was delivered on-site and its installation started.

Beam Dump

As part of the BD skid commissioning, the automatic pressure adjustment of the skid using the expansion tank was successfully performed.

Disclaimer: the information reported is not meant to be technically complete and doesn’t cover all the activities currently carried out on LIPAc. 

Global Alignment survey

The global alignment survey of the entire LIPAc accelerator from ion source to beam dump cartridge has been completed. The large amount of data recorded is being analysed to assess if further measurements or actions are necessary.

RFQ vacuum system

The RFQ nominal vacuum has been resumed smoothly.

Radio Frequency (RF) System   

The start-up of the RF system with the calibration of the LLRF (Low Level RF) and the RF chains including the debugging started this week. The activity focused on the calibration of the 8 RF chains. Next week the plan is to finalize the calibrations, to check the PSYS interlock after the calibration and check the upgraded anode box. Also, some pending software modifications and LCS updates will be performed (activities for which the RF system ON is needed).

Beam Dump

The installation of the planned upgrade in the deaeration loop (oxygen control loop) of the Beam Dump was completed and water circulation is in preparation.

Disclaimer: the information reported is not meant to be technically complete and doesn’t cover all the activities currently carried out on LIPAc. 

Global Alignment survey

The main activity in the vault in the first part of January has been the global alignment survey of the entire LIPAc accelerator from ion source to beam dump cartridge. The alignment survey has been performed to check that all accelerator components are positioned within the acceptance tolerances. It is the first time that the survey is performed for all the components along the line: as it was observed during the preliminary inspections, this increases the complexity of this laborious activity because the visibility and accessibility of the fiducials markers (i.e. the points of reference for the measurements) is limited. The survey will be completed by the end of this week.  

Radio Frequency (RF) System

The key upgrade of the PYS-LLRF interface to improve the time response of the fast interlock has been propagated to all the RF-RFQ modules. Start-up of the RF system with LLRF (Low Level RF) calibration and RFPS calibration and debugging is planned next week, targeting beginning of February to start RF injection in the RFQ cavity.

RFQ vacuum system

After the planned stop at the end of the year, and in preparation of the RFQ cavity conditioning, the RFQ nominal vacuum will be resumed immediately after completion of the alignment survey, starting all the cryopump groups.

Beam Dump

The installation of the planned upgrade in the deaeration loop (oxygen control loop) of the Beam Dump is ongoing.

Disclaimer: the information reported is not meant to be technically complete and doesn’t cover all the activities currently carried out on LIPAc.