• P. A. Posocco, A. Pisent, C. Roncolato
  INFN/LNL, Legnaro
• G. Clemente, K.M. Kleffner, M. Maier, A. Reiter, B. Schlitt, H. Vormann
  GSI, Darmstadt
• G. Balbinot, E. Bressi, M. Caldara, A. Parravicini, M. Pullia, E. Vacchieri, S. Vitulli
  CNAO, Milan
• C. Biscari
  INFN/LNF, Frascati
• L. Celona, G. Ciavola, S. Gammino
  INFN/LNS, Catania

The CNAO (Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica), located in Pavia (Italy), is a dedicated clinical synchrotron facility for cancer therapy using high energy proton and Carbon beams. The 400 MeV/u synchrotron is injected by a 216.8 MHz 7 MeV/u linac composed by a low energy beam transport (fed by two ion sources), a 400 keV/u 4-rod type RFQ and a 20 MV IHDTL. The commissioning of the two ECRIS ion sources and the low-energy line was successfully completed at the end of January 2009 reaching the proper beam conditions for injection into the RFQ. After installation and conditioning, the RFQ was commissioned with beam by the GSI-CNAO-INFN team in March 2009. The beam tests results are presented and compared to the design parameters.

Slides

• E. Fagotti, G. Bassato, A. Battistella, G. Bisoffi, L. Boscagli, S. Canella, D. Carlucci, M. Cavenago, F. Chiurlotto, M. Comunian, A. Facco, M. De Lazzari, A. Galatà, A. Lombardi, P. Modanese, F. Moisio, A. Pisent, M. Poggi, A.M. Porcellato, P. A. Posocco, C. Roncolato, M. Sattin, F. Scarpa, S. Stark
  INFN/LNL, Legnaro

PIAVE-ALPI is the INFN-LNL superconducting heavy ion linac, composed by an SRFQ (superconducting RFQ) section and three QWR sections for a total of 80 cavities installed and an equivalent voltage exceeding 70 MV. In the last years the SRFQ and the bulk niobium QWR came into routine operation, the medium energy QWR section was upgraded with a new Nb sputtered coating, ECR source was firstly improved by using water cooled plasma chamber and then replaced with a new one. The operation of the accelerator complex allowed acquiring a strong experience on many operational issues related to ECRIS, superconducting cavities and cryogenics, beam control and manipulation (with the new and higher accelerating gradient). The paper reports about operational experience, the present limitations and the future perspectives of the facility in view of the experimental campaign with the EU detector AGATA and of the use of PIAVE ALPI as RIB post-accelerator for SPES radioactive ion beam facility.

Slides

• A. Parravicini, S. Alpegiani, G. Balbinot, G. Bazzano, D. Bianculli, J. Bosser, E. Bressi, G. Burato, G. Butella, M. Caldara, E. Chiesa, L. Falbo, A. Ferrari, F. Generani, F. Gerardi, L. Lanzavecchia, R. Monferrato, V. Mutti, M. Nodari, M. Pezzetta, A. Portalupi, C. Priano, M. Pullia, S. Rossi, M. Scotti, M. Spairani, E. Vacchieri, S. Vitulli
  CNAO, Milano
• A. Reiter, B. Schlitt
  GSI, Darmstadt
• C. Biscari, C. Sanelli
  INFN/LNF, Frascati
• C. Roncolato
  INFN/LNL, Legnaro
• L. Celona, G. Ciavola, S. Gammino, F. Maimone
  INFN/LNS, Catania
• L. Frosini, G. Venchi
  University of Pavia, Pavia
• M. Ferrarini
  Politecnico di Milano, Milano

The Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica (CNAO) is the Italian centre for deep hadrontherapy, namely an innovative type of radiotherapy using hadrons. The wide range of beam parameters (i.e., energy and intensity) at patient level together with the advantages of hadron-therapy with respect to traditional radio-therapy nourishes the hopes for more effective patient recovery. After the LEBT and the RFQ commissioning, the IH commissioning is now in progress. First patients are expected to be treated in 2010. The present paper summarizes and evaluates the Low Energy Beam Transfer (LEBT) line commissioning, which has been carried out between July 2008 and January 2009.