CERN PS Booster

CERN PS Booster
Name	PS Booster
Caption	The PS Booster at CERN
Established	1972
Location	Meyrin, Geneva
Facility	CERN
Type	synchrotron
Energy	1.4 GeV (protons, after upgrades)
Circumference	157 m (four rings)
Operator	CERN
Status	operational

CERN PS Booster is a four-ring synchrotron that delivers proton and ion beams to successive accelerators in the CERN complex. It provides intensity and brightness upgrades to the Proton Synchrotron, feeds the Super Proton Synchrotron, and supplies beams for experiments at facilities such as the Antiproton Decelerator and the ISOLDE facility. The Booster has been central to the evolution of CERN’s accelerator chain since its commissioning in the early 1970s.

History

The Booster was proposed during planning that involved institutions like CERN Council stakeholders and designers who previously worked on projects such as the Proton Synchrotron (PS) and the Synchro-Cyclotron. Construction and commissioning were completed in the context of facility expansions alongside the Intersecting Storage Rings program. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the Booster supported experiments tied to CERN ISR developments and the construction of the Large Electron–Positron Collider. Major milestones included campaigns coordinated with engineering groups that developed RF systems later used at the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS).

Design and Technical Specifications

The Booster comprises four separate concentric rings housed in a shared tunnel, a design influenced by multi-ring concepts explored at laboratories such as Brookhaven National Laboratory and Fermilab. Each ring uses combined-function magnets and a lattice that traces heritage to the Proton Synchrotron (PS) optics. The machine’s RF, vacuum, and magnet power systems were developed alongside suppliers who collaborated with projects including CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso and instrumentation groups experienced from the Large Hadron Collider injector upgrades. The Booster originally accelerated protons from the Linear Accelerator 2 injection energy and delivered extracted beams matched to the PS acceptance. Key components include magnet families, radiofrequency cavities, extraction septa and electrostatic elements derived from designs used at DESY and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

Operation and Beam Parameters

In routine operation the Booster cycles beams into the Proton Synchrotron and into transfer lines that feed downstream machines such as the Super Proton Synchrotron and spare transfer paths toward experimental halls like those used by ISOLDE and the Antiproton Decelerator. Typical beam parameters evolved from the original design to provide bunch intensity, emittance, and repetition rate compatible with the needs of experiments associated with ALICE, ATLAS, and CMS injector requirements. The Booster supports proton, deuteron, and heavy-ion modes for campaigns tied to programs such as the Heavy Ion Programme and occasional runs coordinated with the CERN Neutrino Platform. Beam instrumentation and control systems tie into the Accelerator Control System frameworks used across CERN.

Upgrades and Modernization

The Booster underwent staged upgrades influenced by initiatives like the LHC Injector Upgrade and collaboration with European partners including teams from STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Projects addressed vacuum improvements, new RF stations, and magnet refurbishments to meet performance targets related to the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider project. Modernization efforts integrated technology previously advanced at facilities such as GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research and incorporated feed-forward systems compatible with controls adopted in the LEP to LHC transition. Upgrade programs were coordinated with procurement and engineering groups that worked on the Linac4 project to increase injection energy and reduce space-charge limitations.

Role in CERN Accelerator Complex

The Booster occupies a pivotal role between the low-energy injectors like Linac4 and higher-energy machines such as the Proton Synchrotron and the Super Proton Synchrotron. It forms an essential link delivering the intensity and timing structure required by experiments and facilities including ISOLDE, the Antiproton Decelerator, and injector chains for the Large Hadron Collider. Operational scheduling, machine development periods, and maintenance windows are coordinated with programme offices responsible for experiments like NA61/SHINE and with accelerator projects such as the Injector Upgrade initiatives.

Safety and Radiation Protection

Radiation protection and machine safety at the Booster follow CERN-wide policies enforced by the Radiation Protection Group and safety committees linked to the CERN Directorate. Shielding design, beam loss monitoring, and interlock systems reflect lessons from incidents studied by panels that reported to bodies like the CERN Council and were informed by practices at European Organisation for Nuclear Research partner laboratories. Operational limits, access control, and dosimetry for personnel performing maintenance are managed through procedures developed jointly with occupational health and safety units and in conformity with standards advocated by international agencies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Category:CERN accelerators Category:Particle physics facilities