New Technologies for the SKIF Booster: Magnets Controlling the Particle Beam Have Been Tested

Scientists from the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (BINP) SB RAS have developed and manufactured five pulsed magnets that are key elements of the SKIF booster. These magnets, also known in accelerator physics as kickers, perform an important task: they act on the electron beam, controlling its trajectory and directing particles into the desired orbit.

The beam control process begins after it has been formed and accelerated in a linear accelerator (linac). In order for the beam to move further, it must be precisely controlled. It is for this purpose that pulsed magnets — kickers — are installed at strategically important points of the accelerator. These devices deliver a powerful pulse to the beam, acting on it at the right moment and directing it in the right direction, minimizing particle loss.

The design of the kickers includes a magnetic system and a ceramic vacuum chamber with special coatings. The magnetic field inside the chamber is created by copper plates, which are supplied with a strong current pulse from the generator. One of the main difficulties in developing these devices is creating a short and uniform current pulse. In addition, the sputtering of metal on the inner surface of vacuum chambers plays a crucial role in achieving the necessary magnetic field, which is capable of acting on the particle beam.

All kickers for the SKIF booster synchrotron have already successfully passed bench tests, which is an important stage in preparing them for integration into the accelerator system.

The task of the SKIF booster is to form an electron beam, accelerate it to the required energy and inject it into the storage ring, where the beam will circulate at almost the speed of light. In the process of its movement, synchrotron radiation (SR) is generated, which is used for conducting scientific research. The entire SKIF complex consists of several key elements, including a linear accelerator, a synchrotron booster and a storage ring.