[en] At Brookhaven National Laboratory the Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) is presently being commissioned. The EBIS will be a new heavy ion pre-injector for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The new preinjector has the potential for significant future intensity increases and can produce heavy ion beams of all species including uranium. The background pressure in the ionization region of the EBIS required to be low enough that it does not produce a significant number of ions from background gas. The pressure in the regions of the electron gun and electron collector can be higher than in the ionization region provided there is efficient vacuum separation between the sections. For injection the ions must be accelerated to 100KV by pulsing the EBIS platform. All associated equipment including the vacuum equipment on the platform is at a 100KV potential. The vacuum system design and the vacuum controls for the EBIS platform and transport system will be presented as well as the interface with the Booster Ring which has a pressure 10-11 Torr.

[en] The ERL Vacuum systems are depicted in a figure. ERL has eight vacuum volumes with various sets of requirements. A summary of vacuum related requirements is provided in a table. Five of the eight volumes comprise the electron beamline. They are the 5-cell Superconducting RF Cavity, Superconducting e-gun, injection, loop and beam dump. Two vacuum regions are the individual cryostats insulating the 5-cell Superconducting RF Cavity and the Superconducting e-gun structures. The last ERL vacuum volume not shown in the schematic is the laser transport line. The beamline vacuum regions are separated by electropneumatic gate valves. The beam dump is common with loop beamline but is considered a separate volume due to geometry and requirements. Vacuum in the 5-cell SRF cavity is maintained in the ∼10^-9 torr range at room temperature by two 20 l/s ion pumps and in the e-gun SRF cavity by one 60 l/s ion pump. Vacuum in the SRF cavities operated at 2^oK is reduced to low 10^-11 torr via cryopumping of the cavity walls. The cathode of the e-gun must be protected from poisoning, which can occur if vacuum adjacent to the e-gun in the injection line exceeds 10-11 torr range in the injection warm beamline near the e-gun exit. The vacuum requirements for beam operation in the loop and beam dump are 10-9 torr range. The beamlines are evacuated from atmospheric pressure to high vacuum level with a particulate free, oil free turbomolecular pumping cart. 25 l/s shielded ion pumps distributed throughout the beamlines maintain the vacuum requirement. Due to the more demanding vacuum requirement of the injection beamline proximate to the e-gun, a vacuum bakeout of the injection beamline is required. In addition, two 200 l/s diode ion pumps and supplemental pumping provided by titanium sublimation pumps are installed in the injection line just beyond the exit of the e-gun. Due to expected gas load a similar pumping arrangement is planned for the beam dump. The cryostat vacuum thermally insulating the SRF cavities need only reduce the convective heat load such that heat loss is primarily radiation through several layers of multi-layer insulation and conductive end-losses which are contained by 5^oK thermal transitions. Prior to cool down rough vacuum ∼10^-5 torr range is established and maintained by a dedicated turbomolecular pump station. Cryopumping by the cold mass and heat shields reduces the insulating vacuum to 10^-7 torr range after cool down.

[en] The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) ring, which is presently being commissioned at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is designed to accumulate high-intensity protons. Ultrahigh vacuum of 10^-9 torr is required in the accumulator ring to minimize beam-residual gas ionization. To reduce the secondary-electron yield (SEY) and the associated electron-cloud instability, the ring vacuum chambers are coated with titanium nitride (TiN). In order to minimize radiation exposure, quick-disconnect chain clamp flanges are used in some areas where radiation levels are expected to be high. This paper describes the design, fabrication, assembly, and vacuum processing of the ring and beam transport vacuum systems, as well as the associated vacuum instrumentation

[en] There are three vacuum systems in RHIC: the insulating vacuum vessels housing the superconducting magnets, the cold beam tubes surrounded by the superconducting magnets, and the warm beam tube sections at the insertion regions and the experimental regions. These systems have a cumulative length over 10 km and a total volume over 3000 m³. Conventional ultrahigh vacuum technology was used in the design and construction of the cold and warm beam vacuum systems with great success. The long and large insulating vacuum volumes without vacuum barriers require careful management of the welding and leak checking of the numerous helium line joints. There are about 1500 vacuum gauges and pumps serial-linked to eight PLCs distributed around RHIC, which allow the monitoring and control of these devices through Ethernet networks to remote control consoles. With the exception of helium leaks through the cryogenic valve boxes into the insulating vacuum volumes, the RHIC vacuum systems have performed well beyond expectations

[en] The Spallation Neutron Source ring, which is presently being commissioned at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is designed to accumulate high-intensity protons. Ultrahigh vacuum of 10^-9 torr is required in the accumulator ring to minimize beam-residual gas ionization. To reduce the secondary-electron yield and the associated electron cloud instability, the ring vacuum chambers are coated with titanium nitride (TiN). In order to minimize radiation exposure, quick-disconnect chain clamp flanges are used in some areas where radiation levels are expected to be high. This article describes the design, fabrication, assembly, and vacuum processing of the ring and beam transport vacuum systems, as well as the associated vacuum instrumentation

[en] Aim: To identify factors affecting upgrade rates from B5a (non-invasive) preoperative core biopsies to invasive disease at surgery and ways to improve screening performance. Material and methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 1252 cases of B5a biopsies across all six Scottish Breast Screening Programmes (BSPs), ranging between 2004 and 2012. Final surgical histopathology was correlated with radiological and biopsy factors. Data were analysed using basic Microsoft Excel and standard Chi-squared test used for evaluating statistical significance. Results: B5a upgrade rates for the units ranged from 19.2% to 29.2%, with an average of 23.6%. Mean sizes of invasive tumours were small (3–11 mm). The upgrade rate was significantly higher for cases where the main mammographic abnormality was mass, distortion, or asymmetry, compared with micro-calcification alone (33.2% versus 21.7%, p = 0.0004). The upgrade rate was significantly lower with the use of large-volume vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) devices than 14 G core needles (19.9% versus 26%, p = 0.013); in stereotactic than ultrasound-guided biopsies (21.2% versus 36.1%, p < 0.001). Heterogeneity of data from different centres limited evaluation of other potential factors. Conclusion: Upgrade rates are lower for cases with micro-calcification as the sole mammographic feature with the use of VAB devices. Nevertheless, there is variation in practice across Scottish BSPs, including first-line biopsy technique and/or device; and it is of interest that a few centres maintain low upgrade rates despite not using VAB routinely for biopsy of micro-calcification. - Highlights: • Average B5a upgrade rate of 23.6% in our screening programme is comparable to published series. • Upgrade rate was lower in microcalcifications than non-calcific findings on mammography. • Upgrade rate was lower with use of vacuum-assisted biopsy devices than 14-gauge core needles

[en] Injection and acceleration of ions in a lower charge state reduces space charge effects, and, if further elcctron stripping is needed, may allow elimination of a stripping stage and the associated beam losses. The former is of interest to the accelerators in the GSI FAIR complex, the latter for BNL RHIC collider operation at energies lower than the current injection energy. Lower charge state ions, however, have a higher likelihood of electron stripping which can lead to dynamic pressures rises and subsequent beam losses. We report on experiments in the AGS where Au³¹⁺ ions were injected and accelerated instead of the normally used Au⁷⁷⁺ ions. Beam intensities and the average pressure in the AGS ring are recorded, and compared with calculations for dynamic pressures and beam losses. The experimental results will be used to benchmark the StrahlSim dynamic vacuum code and will be incorporated in the GSI FAIR SIS100 design

[en] The recently completed RHIC fast global orbit feedback system uses 24 small 'window-frame' horizontal dipole correctors. Space limitations dictated a very compact design. The magnetic design and modelling of these laminated yoke magnets is described as well as the mechanical implementation, coil winding, vacuum impregnation, etc. Test procedures to determine the field quality and frequency response are described. The results of these measurements are presented and discussed. A small fringe field from each magnet, overlapping the opposite RHIC ring, is compensated by a correction winding placed on the opposite ring's magnet and connected in series with the main winding of the first one. Results from measurements of this compensation scheme are shown and discussed.

[en] In order to cool the superconducting magnets in RHIC, its helium refrigerator distributes 4.5 K helium throughout the tunnel along with helium distribution for the magnet line recoolers, the heat shield, and the associated return lines. The worse case for failure would be a release from the magnet distribution line which operates at 3.5 to 4.5 atmospheres and contains the energized magnet but with a potential energy of 70 MJoules should the insulation system fail or an electrical connection opens. Studies were done to determine release rate of the helium and the resultant reduction in O₂ concentration in the RHIC tunnel and service buildings. Equipment and components were also reviewed for design and reliability and modifications were made to reduce the likelihood of failure and to reduce the volume of helium that could be released.

[en] The AGS HEBT and ring vacuum system is monitored by the discharge current of the magnet ion pumps, which is proportional to the pressure at the inlet port of these ion pumps. The discharge current is measured and suitably calibrated to indicate the ion pump pressure. In order to calculate the vacuum chamber pressure from the ion pump pressure, a detailed analysis is essential to compute their difference in different scenarios. Such analysis has been carried out numerically in the past for the system with the older type of pump out conduits, and similar analysis using FEM in ANSYS is presented in this paper with the newer type of pump out conduit.