• A. Kosicek, P. Leban
  I-Tech, Solkan
• K.B. Scheidt
  ESRF, Grenoble

The lifetime of the electron beam in a Synchrotron Light Source is an important parameter. Its precise measurement within a short time is an essential tool to evaluate properties and stability of a storage ring. In some cases, for example during short gas outbursts in the UHV vacuum chamber leading to rapid lifetime drops, it can be used as a useful diagnostic tool as well. Traditionally, dedicated PCTs (Parametric Current Transformers) are mostly used for this purpose. The idea to use Libera Brilliance Beam Position Processor instead came after the excellent quality of its sum signal was observed. Moreover, the measurement accuracy is greatly increased by averaging the lifetime measurements of all the individual stations, bearing in mind that there are typically more than hundred BPMs positioned around the ring. First measurements were performed on ESRF, showing very good performance potential. The article discusses the measurements, their results, the comparison with more classical methods, and the implementation of this feature in the Libera Brilliance software.