Stage A) Pilot Beams

main aim:

• drive the beam expeditiously through the BeamProductionChain (BPC): from the sources, through the synchrotrons, beam transfers, up to the experimental targets/storage rings
• check basic 'accelerator mechanics': threading, injection, capture, cool, convert, acceleration/decelerate, stripping & extraction
• identify beam-related limitations: polarities, RF, beam instrumentation, machine alignment, effective physical machine aperture, …

This stage is intended to be done always with 'safe' resp. low-intensity/brightness beam, and initially preferably with 'easily available' ions (e.g. U28+, Ar) that are accelerated with relatively simpler optics, beam dynamics, and later with protons to test transition crossing etc.

This stage is further subdivided into phases:

• Phase A.1 - Injection and First Turn: transfer lines, injection commissioning; threading, initial commissioning beam instrumentation
• Phase A.2 - Circulating Pilot: establish circulating beam, closed orbit, tunes, RF capture
• Phase A.3 - Injection initial Commissioning: initial commissioning of beam instrumentation continued, comissioning of beam dump
• Phase A.4 - Ramp: transition crossing (protons), control of orbit, Q/Q', multi-harmonic acceleration, …
• Phase A.5 - Injection & Extraction Optics: beta beating, dispersion, coupling, non-linear field quality, aperture, …
• Phase A.6 - Extraction: fast extraction, slow extraction, …
• Phase A.7 - Final Focus/Target Steering: transfer lines, final focus, internal/external target steering, …
• Phase A.8 - Preliminary Physics runs: “physics” with intermediate safe beam parameter (experiment detector setup etc.), …
• Phase A.9 - Special aspects: special machine functions, e.g. stochastic/e-cooling, transverse FB, special RF manipulation, …
• Phase A.x - template

References:

Above methodology is based and inspired by earlier commissioning and SW analysis efforts done for LHC:

1. LHC Commissioning Procedures: http://lhccwg.web.cern.ch/lhccwg/overview_index.htm
2. LHC Commissioning Procedure References: http://lhccwg.web.cern.ch/lhccwg/Bibliography/background-material.htm
3. LHC Software Analysis WG: http://proj-lhc-software-analysis.web.cern.ch/proj-lhc-software-analysis/
4. LHC Hardware Commissioning: http://lhc-commissioning.web.cern.ch/lhc-commissioning/machine-checkout.htm
5. Youssef El Hayek, SIS18 Multi-Turn Injection, Operator Training 2016
6. Jens Stadlmann, SIS Einstellungen, Operator Training 2016 ( pptx)