CERN, Geneva
The start-up of the LHC has provided the first field test for the concept, functionality and accuracy of FiDeL, the Field Description for the LHC. FiDeL is primarily a parametric model of the transfer function of the main field integrals generated by the series of magnets in the LHC powering circuits, from main optical elements to high-order harmonic correctors, both superconducting and normal-conducting magnets. In addition, the same framework is used to predict harmonic errors of both static and dynamic nature, and forecast appropriate corrections. In this paper we give a description of the level of detail achieved in the model and the rationale adopted for the LHC start-up. Beam-based measurements have been used for an assessment of the first-shot accuracy in the prediction of the current setting for the main arc magnets*.
*The work reported has been performed by the authors and the FiDeL Team
CERN, Geneva
The Large Hadron Collider beams are brought into collision by superconducting orbit corrector magnets which generate the parallel separation and crossing angles at the interaction points during the different cycle phases. Unfortunately, the magnetic field errors that result from hysteresis effects in the operation region of these magnets lead to unwanted orbit perturbations. In a previous paper, it has been shown that these effects are within the perturbations coming from beam-beam interactions for the MCBC and the MCBY magnets but are significant in the case of the MCBX magnets. This paper presents a refined model of their field in the frame of the Field Description for the LHC (FiDeL), the results obtained from new magnetic measurements in cold conditions to test the model, the powering mechanism employed to maximize their field reproducibility, and the impact the modeling error is predicted to have on the LHC orbit.
CERN, Geneva
Following a series of injection tests, the first attempts to pass beam around both directions of the LHC were successful and led rapidly to circulating beam in the counter clockwise direction (beam 2) and many turns of beam 1. Unfortunately the beam commissioning was curtailed by the incident in sector 34. However, measurements performed during this first commissioning period should that the magnet model of the machine had delivered optics close to nominal, and also very good performance of beam instrumentation and supporting software. Details of the machine set-up and the commissioning procedures are detailed. The measurements performed and the key results from this period are described.
CERN, Geneva
The LHC injection tests and first turn beam commissioning took place in late summer 2008, after detailed and thorough preparation. The beam commissioning of the downstream sections of the SPS-to-LHC transfer lines and the LHC injection systems is described. The details of the aperture measurements in the injection regions are presented together with the performance of the injection related equipment. The measured injection stability is compared to the expectations. The operational issues encountered are discussed.
CERN, Geneva
After each beam dump in the LHC automatic post-operational checks are made to guarantee that the last beam dump has been executed correctly and that the system can be declared to be 'as good as new' before the next injection is allowed. The analysis scope comprises the kicker waveforms, redundancy in kicker generator signal paths and different beam instrumentation measurements. This paper describes the implementation and the operational experience of the internal and external post-operational checks of the LHC beam dumping system during the commissioning of the LHC without beam and during the first days of beam operation.
CERN, Geneva
We discuss luminosity monitoring, optimization and absolute calibration in the LHC. Interaction rates will be continuously monitored both by detectors on the machine side as well as by the four large LHC experiments. Horizontal and vertical separation scans will be used to optimize luminosity and to measure the beam sizes in the interaction region. An application software has been developed for this purpose. We describe the procedures which have been prepared and discuss expected systematic effects which may limit the accuracy of the measurement.
CERN, Geneva
BNL, Upton, Long Island, New York
KEK, Ibaraki
In 2008 beam successfully circulated in the LHC. Thanks to an excellent functioning of the BPM system and the related software, injection oscillations were recorded for the first 90 turns at all BPMs. The analysis of these data gives the unique opportunity of evaluating the periodic optics and inferring possible error sources.
CERN, Geneva
BNL, Upton, Long Island, New York
In early LHC commissioning, linear and "higher-order" polarity checks were performed for one octant per beam, by launching suitable free betatron oscillations and then inverting a magnet-circuit polarity or strength. Circuits tested included trim quadrupoles, skew quadrupoles, lattice sextupoles, sextupole spool-pieces, Landau octupoles, and skew sextupoles. A nonzero momentum offset was introduced to enhance the measurement quality. The low-intensity single-pass measurements proved sufficiently sensitive to verify the polarity and the amplitude of (almost) all circuits under investigation, as well as the alignment of individual trim quadrupoles. A systematic polarity inversion detected by this measurement helped to pin down the origin of observed dispersion errors. Later, the periodic "ring dispersion" was reconstructed from the full first-turn trajectory of an injected off-momentum beam, by removing, at each location, the large incoming dispersion mismatch, forward-propagated via the optics model. Various combinations of inverted trim quadrupoles were considered in this model until reaching a good agreement of reconstructed dispersion and prediction.
CERN, Geneva
Initial commissioning of the LHC beam dump system with beam took place in August and September 2008. The preparation, setting-up and the tests performed are described together with results of the extractions of beam into the dump lines. Analysis of the first detailed aperture measurements of extraction channels and kicker performance derived from dilution sweep shapes are presented. The performance of the other equipment subsystems is summarised, in particular that of the dedicated dump system beam instrumentation.
CERN, Geneva
A series of LHC injection tests was performed in August and September 2008. The first saw beam injected into sector 23; the second into sectors 78 and 23; the third into sectors 78-67 and sectors 23-34-45. The fourth, into sectors 23-34-45, was performed the evening before the extended injection test on the 10th September which saw both beams brought around the full circumference of the LHC. The tests enabled the testing and debugging of a number of critical control and hardware systems; testing and validation of instrumentation with beam for the first time; deployment, and validation of a number of measurement procedures. Beam based measurements revealed a number of machine configuration issues that were rapidly resolved. The tests were undoubtedly an essential precursor to the successful start of LHC beam commissioning. This paper provides an outline of preparation for the tests, the machine configuration and summarizes the measurements made and individual system performance.
