[en] The Machine Protection System (MPS) is a device-safety system that is designed to prevent damage to hardware by generating interlocks, based upon the state of input signals generated by selected sub-system. It exists to protect key machinery such as the 50 kW and 1 MW RF Systems. When a fault state occurs, the MPS is capable of responding with an interlock signal within several microseconds. The Machine Protection System inputs are designed to be fail-safe. In addition, all fault conditions are latched and time-stamped. The ERL MPS is based on a National Instruments hardware platform, and is programmed by utilizing National Instruments development environment for a visual programming language.

[en] Negative Electron Affinity (NEA) activated GaAs photocathodes are the most popular option for generating a high current ([Formula: see text]1 mA) spin-polarized electron beam. Despite its popularity, a short operational lifetime is the main drawback of this material. Recent works have shown that the lifetime can be improved by using a robust Cs–Sb–O NEA layer with minimal adverse effects. In this work, we operate GaAs photocathodes with this new activation method in a high voltage environment to extract a high current. We demonstrate that improved chemical resistance of Cs–Sb–O activated GaAs photocathodes allowed them to survive a day-long transport processmore » from a separate vacuum system using a vacuum suitcase. During beam running, we observed spectral dependence on lifetime improvement. In particular, we saw a 45% increase in the lifetime at 780 nm on average for Cs–Sb–O activated GaAs compared to Cs–O activated GaAs.

[en] In polarized proton operation the RHIC performance is limited by the head-on beam-beam effect. To overcome this limitation two electron lenses are under construction. We give an overview of the construction progress. Guns, collectors and the warm electron beam transport solenoids with their power supplies have been constructed. The superconducting solenoids that guide the electron beam during the interaction with the proton beam are near completion. A test stand has been set up to verify the performance of the gun, collector and some of the instrumentation. The infrastructure is being prepared for installation, and simulations continue to optimize the performance.

[en] The 704 MHz SRF gun for the BNL Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) prototype uses two fundamental power couplers (FPCs) to deliver up to 1 MW of CW RF power to the half-cell cavity. To prepare the couplers for high-power RF service and process multipacting, the FPCs should be conditioned prior to installation into the gun cryomodule. A room-temperature test stand was configured for conditioning FPCs in full reflection regime with varied phase of the reflecting wave. The FPCs have been conditioned up to 250 kW in pulse mode and 125 kW in CW mode. The multipacting simulations were carried out with Track3P code developed at SLAC. The simulations matched the experimental results very well. This paper presents the FPC RF and thermal design, multipacting simulations and conditioning of the BNL gun FPCs.

[en] The Machine Protection System (MPS) is a device-safety system that is designed to prevent damage to hardware by generating interlocks, based upon the state of input signals generated by selected sub-systems. It protects all the key machinery in the R and D Project called the Energy Recovery LINAC (ERL) against the high beam current. The MPS is capable of responding to a fault with an interlock signal within several microseconds. The ERL MPS is based on a National Instruments CompactRIO platform, and is programmed by utilizing National Instruments' development environment for a visual programming language. The system also transfers data (interlock status, time of fault, etc.) to the main server. Transferred data is integrated into the pre-existing software architecture which is accessible by the operators. This paper will provide an overview of the hardware used, its configuration and operation, as well as the software written both on the device and the server side.

[en] The Collider-Accelerator Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory is building a high-brightness 500 mA capable Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) as one of its main R and D thrusts towards eRHIC, the polarized electron - hadron collider as an upgrade of the operating RHIC facility. The ERL is in final assembly stages, with injection commisioning starting in October 2012. The objective of this ERL is to serve as a platform for R and D into high current ERL, in particular issues of halo generation and control, Higher-Order Mode (HOM) issues, coherent emissions for the beam and high-brightness, high-power beam generation and preservation. The R and D ERL features a superconducting laser-photocathode RF gun with a high quantum efficiency photoccathode served with a load-lock cathode delivery system, a highly damped 5-cell accelerating cavity, a highly flexible single-pass loop and a comprehensive system of beam instrumentation. In this ICFA Beam Dynamics Newsletter article we will describe the ERL in a degree of detail that is not usually found in regular publications. We will discuss the various systems of the ERL, following the electrons from the photocathode to the beam dump, cover the control system, machine protection etc and summarize with the status of the ERL systems.

[en] For the past twelve years experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) have recorded data from collisions of heavy ions and polarized protons, leading to important discoveries in nuclear physics and the spin dynamics of quarks and gluons. BNL is the site of one of the first and still operating alternating gradient synchrotrons, the AGS, which first operated in 1960. The accelerator controls systems for these instruments span multiple generations of technologies. In this report we will describe the current status of the Collider-Accelerator Department controls systems, which are used to control seven different accelerator facilities and multiple science programs (high energy nuclear physics, high energy polarized proton physics, NASA programs, isotope production, and multiple accelerator research and development projects). We will describe the status of current projects, such as the just completed Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS), our R and D programs in superconducting RF and an Energy Recovery LINAC (ERL), innovations in feedback systems and bunched beam stochastic cooling at RHIC, and plans for future controls system developments.

[en] The Machine Protection System (MPS) is a device safety system that is designed to prevent damage to hardware by generating interlocks, based upon the state of input signals generated by selected sub-systems. It protects all the key machinery in the Project called the Energy Recovery LINAC (ERL) against the high beam current. The MPS is capable of responding to a fault with an interlock signal within several microseconds. The ERL MPS is based on a National Instruments CompactRIO platform, and is programmed by utilizing National Instruments' development environment for a visual programming language. The system also transfers data (interlock status, time of fault, etc.) to the main server. Transferred data is integrated into the pre-existing software architecture which is accessible by the operators. This paper will provide an overview of the hardware used, its configuration and operation, as well as the software written both on the device and the server side. (authors)

[en] Two partial snakes overcome the vertical depolarizing resonances in the AGS. But a new type of depolarizing intrinsic resonance from horizontal motion appeared. We reduce these using horizontal tune jumps timed to these resonances. We gain a factor of six in crossing rate with a tune jump of 0.05 in 100 (micro)s. Two quadrapoles, we described in 2009, pulse 42 times, the current matching beam energy. The power supplies for these quads are described in detail elsewhere in this conference. The controls for the Jump Quad system is based on a BNL designed Quad Function Generator. Two modules are used; one for timing, and one to supply reference voltages. Synchronization is provided by a proprietary serial bus, the Event Link. The AgsTuneJump application predicts the times of the resonances during the AGS cycle and calculates the power supply trigger times from externally collected tune and energy versus time data and the Low and High PS voltage functions from a voltage to current model of the power supply. The system was commissioned during runs 09 and 10 and is operational. Many beam effects are described elsewhere. The TuneJump system has worked well and has caused little trouble save for the perturbations in the lattice having such a large effect due to our need to run with the vertical tune within a few thousandths of the integer tune. As these problems were mostly sorted out by correcting the 6th harmonic orbit distortions which caused a large 18 theta beta wave. Also running with minimal chromaticity reduces emittance growth. There are still small beta waves which are being addressed. The timing of the pulses is still being investigated, but as each crossing causes minimal polarization loss, this is a lengthy process.

[en] The Electron Lens upgrade project at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) has reached an operational status, whereby intense, pulsed or DC beams of electrons are generated in order to interact with the RHIC polarized proton beams in both the Blue and Yellow Rings at the 10 o'clock Interaction Region. Interactions between the electrons and protons are utilized to counteract the beam-beam effect that arises from the desired polarized proton collisions, which result in a higher RHIC luminosity. A complex system for operating the e-lens has been developed, including superconducting and nonsuperconducting magnet controls, instrumentation systems, a COTS-based Machine Protection System, custom Blue and Yellow e-lens timing systems for synchronizing the electron beam with the RHIC timing system, beam alignment software tools for maximizing electron-proton collisions, as well as complex user interfaces to support routine operation of the system. elens software and hardware design will be presented, as well as recent updates to the system that were required in order to meet changing system requirements in preparation for the first operational run of the system. (author)