Speaker
Description
Low-density, carbon-based materials are widely used in accelerators for beam-intercepting instruments. Ongoing upgrades to the CERN accelerator complex have exposed the physical limits of these materials to beam damage, which are expected to become increasingly problematic with future upgrades. Novel high strength, lower density 1-D materials such as long-strand Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) wires have opened new possibilities to extend the reach of these instruments in existing and future accelerators. This presentation will outline recent collaborative developments between the University of Bath and CERN to deliver the simulations and practical understanding required to deliver CNTs wires that meet these needs. In particular, recent modelling has focused on CNT-particle interactions, in terms of inelastic collisions and resulting particle showers, thermal simulations to assess sublimation potential and predictions of CNT wire deformation, which influences the precision of resulting instrumentation.
In terms of practical considerations, a range of thermal treatments and chemical processes are being established to refine commercially available CNTs and those being developed by collaborating research institutions. In order to optimise these processes, a range of advanced characterisation methods and mechanical treatment facilities are also being developed. This includes the production of a novel test rig that can provide both micromechanical assessment and the ability to twist CNTs wires during production and/or testing to improve performance. An overview of a beamtime at Beamline B16 at Diamond Light Source, involving microfocus X-ray diffraction during in-situ loading, will also be outlined, as well as recent results from HRMT experiments. The resulting quantitative insights are essential in delivering CNTs for accelerator physics instrumentation applications, but also have important implications for alternative uses of these promising high specific stiffness wires.