CERN - European Organization for Nuclear Research

Generation of Cold Electrons for an eV Electron Cooler

Trainee: Bruno Galante
Supervisor: Gerard Tranquille

Electron cooling of the antiproton beam is essential to reduce or eliminate 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 are under investigation, including expected performance and limitations, to improve the understanding of cold electron beam generation.

This project involved simulations into the electron source performance, as well as experimental studies for a full characterization of the emitted electron beam. One novel material called carbon nanotubes (CNTs), known for its ability to reach low field emissions, was 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.

Instrumentation and Detector Beam Line and Test Stand 

Trainee: Mattia Fani
Supervisor: Michael Doser

For the optimization of any detection techniques it is essential that detailed tests into the monitor characteristics can be carried out on an ongoing basis. As experiments mature, however, opportunities for detector testing decreases.

In this project the Fellow designed an Instrumentation and Detector Test Stand to carry out investigations using diamond, liquid and cryogenic detectors developed across this work package over a wide range of beam energies and intensities. Simulations and technical design considerations such as space limitations and vacuum requirements will halp make the final stand a polyvalent facility for evaluating the performance of beam instrumentation, adaptable for any low-energy antiproton and ion facility.

This work was complemented by the development of a low energy antihydrogen beam. A low-energy antiproton test stand facility was built with fully electrostatic optics to provide slow antiprotons of known energies for tests of different detection technologies in the framework of the AEgIS Experiment. A simulation with realistic parameters has been carried out based on pre-existing work, to provide an estimation of the beam parameters required for experiments with detector exposed to low-energy antiprotons. Diamond detectors have been tested for beam monitoring in collaboration with another AVA Fellow. A first pulsed production of antihydrogen was achieved in AEgIS during this project.