Bruno Galante successfully completes PhD
AVA Fellow Bruno Galante has successfully defended his PhD thesis on ‘Characterization studies of carbon nanotubes as cold electron field emitters for electron cooling applications in the Extra Low ENergy Antiproton (ELENA) ring at CERN’, with Dr David Martin (University of Liverpool) and Dr Jeremy Sloan (University of Warwick) as examiners.
Electron cooling of the antiproton beam is essential to reduce any emittance growth caused by the deceleration process. An antiproton beam with a small emittance will be needed for further deceleration and extraction to the trap experiments.
Different options for a cold electron source were investigated, including expected performance and limitations, to improve the understanding of cold electron beam generation.
Bruno’s project involved simulations of the electron source performance, as well as experimental studies for a full characterization of the emitted electron beam. Carbon nanotubes, a novel material known for its ability to reach low field emissions, were optimized and investigated for durability to develop a suitable alternative source for cold electrons. Improved electron cooling will help to increase the number of available antiprotons for further studies and experiments.
Bruno’s project was carried out within the AVA network and based at CERN; he was supervised by Dr Gerard Tranquille (CERN) and Prof Carsten P Welsch (University of Liverpool).