A new Beam Loss Monitor based on Micromegas detector: first tests with beam losses at LINAC4

by Laura Segui Iglesia (Université Paris-Saclay (FR))

Friday 4 Oct 2019, 15:00 → 17:00 Europe/Zurich

866/2-D05 (CERN)

Abstract:

The control of beam losses is crucial in any accelerator. A new type of Beam Loss Monitor (BLM) has been developed which main focus the low energy region of hadron accelerators. In that region the signature of the loss will be mainly produced by gammas and neutrons. Gammas and x-rays, however, can be emitted by the RF cavities becoming a considerable background for loss identification. The new BLM we propose have been designed to detect fast neutrons while having a very small sensitivity to gammas. It is based on the detection of fast neutrons using Micromegas gaseous detector with an appropriate combination of neutron convertors and absorbers, and it will be part of the BLM systems at ESS. The detector have been tested extensively at different irradiation facilities, the most important test being the measurements done at LINAC4 (CERN), where the response under real accelerator conditions was tested for the first time. Indeed, the response to beam losses and RF gammas background has been investigated showing the discrimination capabilities of the module. In this presentation a general overview of the project will be given, showing the experimental characterization of the modules. The LINAC4 data results will be also discussed in detail.

BICern_LauraSegui.pdf

BICern_LauraSegui.pptx