Following the winter shutdown, the injectors and accelerators are preparing for the 2023 data-taking season. After a 17-week year-end technical stop (YETS) for maintenance and minor upgrades, the CERN accelerator complex is restarting for the 2023 data-taking season. The restart process involves
The CERN accelerator complex has restarted for the 2023 data-taking season after a 17-week maintenance and upgrade period. These improvements will enhance data taking and include a 30% increase in Linac4’s peak current, barrier buckets to prevent beam loss, and upgraded kicker systems. LHC collisions are expected to start on April 22, providing increased efficiency and higher beam intensity for experiments.
Following the winter shutdown, the injectors and accelerators are preparing for the 2023 data-taking season.accelerator complex is restarting for the 2023 data-taking season. The restart process involves each accelerator in the chain, ultimately leading to the Large Hadron Collider . Upgrades performed during YETS will enhance physics data taking for the second year of LHC Run 3. The linear accelerator, Linac4, now allows a 30% increase in the peak current of the beam.
It all began on February 13, 2023, when Linac4 started beam commissioning: a short period of adjusting the machine before operation began on February 17. This linear accelerator is responsible for supplying protons to the whole accelerator chain. It consists of a hydrogen ion source and several accelerating structures that forward the ions to the PSB . During the YETS, the Linac4 source was upgraded.
The PS, which began its 2023 operation on 10 March, is responsible for supplying proton beams to a variety of experiments, including n_TOF, the Antiproton Decelerator and those in the East Area, as well as to the Super Proton Synchrotron , the next accelerator in the chain. During the YETS, the beamlines between the PS and SPS underwent upgrades to make beam transfer more efficient.