Speaker
Description
High-voltage accelerating structures (and other vacuum devices) are limited by the occurrence of vacuum arcs. To operate reliably such components must be subjected to a conditioning process in which the operating voltage is slowly increased over time while monitoring for arcs. This process is performed at great temporal and monetary expense, typically requiring millions of RF pulses or several months of runtime and if performed incorrectly can irreparably damage the components under test.
In most facilities the process is performed based on operator experience and, in this context, a new simulation tool to investigate and optimise the conditioning process for future high gradient-facilities is under development. An outline of the model will be presented followed by preliminary results, a comparison with experimental data, and plans for the future.
