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The ElectricityLCI is a Python package for creating regionalized life cycle inventory models of U.S. electricity generation, consumption, and distribution using standardized facility and generation data for use with open-source LCA software.
Niobium-Tin (Nb3Sn) is a promising alternative to pure niobium for low-beta ion accelerators due to low RF losses even at high frequencies. At 4.5 K, the expected Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer resistance of Nb3Sn is a few nano-Ohms at 1 GHz, with two orders of magnitude improvement compared to pure niobium. The low Nb3Sn RF losses allow the use of higher frequency, much smaller cavities while maintaining 4.5 K operation that is compatible with cryocoolers. This work aims to demonstrate the feasibility of coating a high-frequency 1 GHz, compact quarter-wave cavity. The development of this cavity has the potential to transform low-beta ion accelerators through size reductions and by enabling the replacement of large helium cryoplants with small plug-in cryocoolers. We have designed, built, and tested a 1GHz Nb3Sn coated quarter-wave cavity. Nb3Sn coating has been performed once by vapor diffusion at Fermilab. Cryogenic cold tests show a quality factor of ~1E9 at low accelerating electric fields or ~7 times higher than the theoretical limit for pure niobium at 1GHz. This first coating does not yet meet our quality factor or gradient goals; however, we plan to continue to develop this cavity.
Increasing the Main Injector (MI) beam power above ~1.2 MW requires replacement of the 8 GeV Booster by a higher intensity alternative. Previously, rapid-cycling synchrotron (RCS) and Linac solutions were considered for this purpose. In this paper, we consider the Linac version that produces 8 GeV H⁻ beam for injection into the Recycler Ring (RR) or Main Injector (MI). The Linac takes ~1 GeV beam from the PIP-II Linac and accelerates it to ~2 GeV in a cw SRF linac, followed by a ~2-8 GeV pulsed linac using 1300 MHz cryomodules. The linac components incorporate recent improvements in SRF technology. The linac configuration and beam dynamics requirements are presented. Injection options are discussed. Research needed to implement the Booster replacement is described.
Niobium-tin has been identified as the most promising next-generation superconducting material for accelerator cavities. This is due to the higher critical temperature (Tc = 18 K) of Nb3Sn compared to niobium (TC = 9.2 K), which leads to greatly reduced RF losses in the cavity during 4.5 K operation. This allows two important changes during cavity and cryomodule design. First, the higher Tc leads to negligible BCS losses when operated at 4.5 K, which allows for a higher frequency to be used, translating to significantly smaller cavities and cryomodules. Second, the reduced dissipated power lowers the required cryogenic cooling capacity, meaning that cavities can feasibly be operated on 5-10 W cryocoolers instead of a centralized helium refrigeration plant. These plants and distribution systems are costly and complex, requiring skilled technicians for operation and maintenance. These fundamental changes present an opportunity for a paradigm shift in how low-beta linacs are designed and operated. Fabrication challenges and first coated cavity test results are discussed.
SRF photoguns become a promising candidate to produce highly stable electrons for UEM/UED applications because of the ultrahigh shot-to-shot stability compared to room temperature RF photoguns. SRF technology was prohibitively expensive for industrial use until two recent advancements: Nb3Sn and conduction cooling. SRF gun can provide a CW operation capability while consuming only 2W of RF power which eliminates the need of an expensive high power RF system and saves a facility footprint. Euclid is developing a continuous wave (CW), 1.5-cell, MeV-scale SRF conduction cooled photogun operating at 1.3 GHz. We aim for generation of the first beam in 2024. In this paper, we present the most up-to-date progress including results of the first cool down of the gun-cavity in the newly developed conduction cooled cryomodule and LLRF system development.
The LCLS-II HE superconducting linac can produce multi-energy beams by supporting multiple undulator lines simultaneously. This could be achieved by using the cavity SRF tuner in the off-frequency detune mode. This off-frequency operation method was tested in 8 cryomodules at Fermilab at 2 K. In all the tests the tuners successfully achieved a frequency shift of -565±80 kHz from the 1.3 GHz value. This study discusses the cavity frequency during each stage of assembly from the cryomodule string to when they are finally tested at 2 K. Monitoring the cavity frequency from this initial stage contributed in reaching this large frequency shift. The specific procedures of tuner setting during assembly will be presented.
22 Linac Coherent Light Source II (LCLS-II) cryomodules were successfully tested at the Cryomodule Test Facility (CMTF) at Fermilab. Following the completion of the LCLS-II testing program, CMTF has shifted to testing cryomodules for the LCLS-II High Energy upgrade (LCLS-II-HE). The first LCLS-II-HE cryomodule, the verification cryomodule (vCM), was successfully tested and verified the readiness of LCLS-II-HE cryomodule testing at CMTF, and production cryomodule testing has begun. Presented here are the production cryomodule test acceptance criteria, testing plan, and cryomodule test results so far.
This talk will discuss Fermilab’s recent progress in the surface engineering of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities geared toward producing simultaneously high quality factors and high accelerating gradients in cryomodules. We investigate possible microscopic mechanisms that drive improved performance by carrying out sequential RF tests on cavities subjected to low temperature baking. We compare performance evolution to observations made with material science techniques and find correlations with material parameters. We also discuss other key advancements that enable high gradient operation in cryomodules.
Nb3Sn is the most advanced potential successor for niobium in superconducting RF accelerator cavities. Nb3Sn has a significantly higher critical temperature (18.3 K) compared to that of niobium (9.2 K). This has a large effect on the BCS surface resistance, and therefore, on the dynamic RF losses at 4.5 K. The higher critical temperature allows two important changes for cavity and cryomodule design. First, the lower BCS losses allow the designer to use a higher frequency, translating to physically smaller cavities and cryomodules. Second, the low dynamic losses allow the use of stand-alone cryocoolers instead of complex helium refrigerators and distribution systems. Fabrication of a prototype 218 MHz cavity, test results, and continuing challenges are discussed.
Microphonics causes the cavity to detune. This study discusses the microphonics of 16 cryomodules, 14 for LCLS-II and 2 for LCLS-II HE tested at CMTF. The peak detuning, as well as the RMS detuning for each cryomodule, will be discussed. For each cryomodule, the data was taken with enough soaking time to prevent any thermalization effects which can show up in the detuning. Each data capture taken was 30 minutes or longer and sampled at 1 kHz.
Benefiting from the rapid progress on RF photogun technologies in the past two decades, the development of MeV range ultrafast electron diffraction/microscopy (UED and UEM) has been identified as an enabling instrumentation. UEM or UED use low power electron beams with modest energies of a few MeV to study ultrafast phenomena in a variety of novel and exotic materials. SRF photoguns become a promising candidate to produce highly stable electrons for UEM/UED applications because of the ultrahigh shot-to-shot stability compared to room temperature RF photoguns. SRF technology was prohibitively expensive for industrial use until two recent advancements: Nb₃Sn and conduction cooling. The use of Nb₃Sn allows to operate SRF cavities at higher temperatures (4K) with low power dissipation which is within the reach of commercially available closed-cycle cryocoolers. Euclid is developing a continuous wave (CW), 1.5-cell, MeV-scale SRF conduction cooled photogun operating at 1.3 GHz. In this paper, we present first high gradient results of the gun conducted in liquid helium.
Nb₃Sn demonstrates steady advancements nowadays offering reduced power cost in superconducting radio-frequency cavities due to its high critical temperature, quality factor, and achieved accelerating gradient. However, theoretical estimates of its radio-frequency parameters have not been achieved due to several potentially limiting mechanisms: tin spots, patchy regions, defects, thermal impedance, and impurities. While some of these limitations have been intensively studied, impurity analysis in Nb$_3$Sn coatings have received less attention. We report an investigation of impurities in several vapor-diffused Nb₃Sn coated samples using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS) and show allowable impurity levels in view of superconducting cavity performance. Challenges and lessons learned in maintaining clean Nb$_3$Sn coatings are also discussed.
LCLS-II-HE has performance requirements similar to but generally more demanding than those of LCLS-II, with an operating gradient of 21 MV/m (up from 16 MV/m in LCLS-II) and tighter restrictions on field emission and multipacting. In this paper, we outline the requirements for the 1.3 GHz cavities and the plans for qualification of these cavities by vertical test. We discuss lessons learned from LCLS-II and highlight the changes implemented in the vertical test procedure for the new project.
To improve the superconducting performance of niobium SRF cavities, electropolishing (EP) with a sulfuric and hydroflouric acid mixture is used. The chemistry of this reaction is complex due to the interactions between diffusion mechanisms, surface oxide structure, and multiple chemical species. Past studies on the EP process have produced a certain set of optimum parameters that have been used successfully for a long time. However, two recent developments have called the efficacy of the existing EP process into question. Since the introduction of nitrogen doping the surface quality of some cavities has been very poor. Also, EP performed at colder than standard temperatures leads to an increase in the cavity performance. To understand these questions, we perform a multivariate study on the EP process using niobium test samples electropolished at different temperatures and potentials. We find that electropolishing at lower potentials leads to rough surface features such as pitting and grain etching. Some of the surface features show similarities to features seen in niobium cavities. The effect of electropolishing temperature is not clear based on the results of this study.
In this report, we study the vertical test gradient performance and the gradient degradation between vertical test and cryomodule test for the 1.3 GHz LCLS-II cavities. We develop a model of peak gradient statistics, and use our understanding of the LCLS-II results and the changes implemented for LCLS-II-HE to estimate the expected gradient statistics for the new machine. Finally, we lay out a plan to ensure that the LCLS-II-HE cryomodule gradient specifications are met while minimizing cavity disqualification by introducing a variable acceptance threshold for the accelerating gradient.
LCLS-II is an upgrade project for the linear coherent light source (LCLS) at SLAC. The LCLS-II linac consists of thirty-five 1.3 GHz and two 3.9 GHz superconducting RF (SRF) continuous wave (CW) cryomodules with high quality factor cavities. Cryomodules were produced at Fermilab and at Jefferson Lab in collaboration with SLAC. Fermilab successfully completed the assembly, testing and delivery of seventeen 1.3 GHz and three 3.9 GHz cryomodules. LCLS-II-HE is a planned upgrade project to LCLS-II. The LCLS-II-HE linac will consist of twenty-three 1.3 GHz cryomodules with high gradient and high quality factor cavities. This paper presents LCLS-II-HE cryomodule production plans, emphasizing the improvements done based on the challenges, mitigations, and lessons learned from LCLS-II.
Medium Temperature baking of low beta 650 MHz cavities was conducted in a UHV furnace. A systematic study of cavity surface resistance components, residual and BCS, was conducted, including analyzing surface resistance due to trapped magnetic flux. Cavities showed an average 4.5 nano-ohm surface resistance at 17 MV/m under 2 K, which meets PIP-II specifications with a 40% margin. The results provided helpful information for the PIP-II project to optimize the cavity processing recipe for cryomodule application. The results were compared to the 1.3 GHz cavity that received a similar furnace baking.
Acceptance testing of the LCLS-II-HE production cavities is approximately 65% complete. In this report, we present details of the test results, including summaries of the quench fields, intrinsic quality factors, and experience with field emission. We also offer an outlook on the remaining tests to be performed.