The Fermilab Main Injector: high intensity operation and beam loss control

TL;DR

This paper discusses the enhancements and strategies implemented at Fermilab's Main Injector from 2005 to 2012 to achieve high-intensity proton beams at 120 GeV with minimized beam loss and residual radiation, enabling sustained 400 kW operation.

Contribution

The paper details hardware upgrades, diagnostics improvements, and loss control techniques that collectively enabled high-power, low-loss operation of the Main Injector.

Findings

Achieved ~400 kW beam power with high transmission efficiency.

Reduced residual radiation levels through loss minimization.

Implemented effective beam loss localization and collimation strategies.

Abstract

From 2005 through 2012, the Fermilab Main Injector provided intense beams of 120 GeV protons to produce neutrino beams and antiprotons. Hardware improvements in conjunction with improved diagnostics allowed the system to reach sustained operation at ~400 kW beam power. Transmission was very high except for beam lost at or near the 8 GeV injection energy where 95% beam transmission results in about 1.5 kW of beam loss. By minimizing and localizing loss, residual radiation levels fell while beam power was doubled. Lost beam was directed to either the collimation system or to the beam abort. Critical apertures were increased while improved instrumentation allowed optimal use of available apertures. We will summarize the improvements required to achieve high intensity, the impact of various loss control tools and the status and trends in residual radiation in the Main Injector.