THE PROTON STORAGE RING - PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

The Los Alamos Proton Storage Ring (PSR) now operates with 35-mu-A at 20-Hz pulse repetition rate. Beam availability during 1988 suffered because of a number of problems with hardware reliability and from narrow operating margins for beam spill in the extraction line. A strong effort is underway to improve reliability with an eventual goal of obtaining beam availability in excess of 75%. Beam losses and the resulting component activation have limited operating currents to their present values. In detailed studies of the problem, loss rates were found to be approximately proportional to the circulating current and can be understood by a detailed accounting of emittance growth in the two-step injection process along with Coulomb scattering of the stored beam during multiple traversals of the injection foil. It is now apparent that the key to reducing losses is in reducing the number of foil traversals. A program of upgrades to reduce losses and improve the operating current is being planned.