The annual International Beam Instrumentation Conference (IBIC) took place in Grand Rapids, USA bet
ween 20-24 August 2017. IBIC is a fruitful gathering of the world’s beam instrumentation community and encourages international collaboration in the field of beam instrumentation for accelerators. The conference is dedicated to exploring the physics and engineering challenges of beam diagnostic and measurement techniques for particle accelerators worldwide.
Photograph of the conference venue in Grand Rapids.
Prof Carsten Welsch from the CI/University of Liverpool attended the conference to present an invited talk on “Low energy, low intensity beam diagnostics”. He illustrated the particular challenges that have to be overcome at keV beam energies on the example of the brand-new extra low energy antiproton ring ELENA, currently being commissioned at CERN. This included basic diagnostics for measurement of beam intensity, position and profile, as well as advanced least-invasive methods relying on superconducting SQUIDs for absolute current measurement and sheet gas jets for 2-dimensional profile monitoring.
He also contributed several posters to the scientific programme, including an update on recent results on medical diagnostics within our OMA project, an overview of the beam instrumentation work package within the AVA network, and experimental results using fibre optic-based beam loss monitors at the VELA facility in the UK. It was the first time that such sensors have been successfully used in a multi-sector configuration for loss monitoring, as well as RF cavity characterisation. These sensors can now be obtained from the CI start-up company D-Beam, part of the STFC CERN BIC.
Alexandra presenting a range of accelerator projects the QUASAR Group is involved in.
Further project news were presented by Alexandra Welsch, a member of the CI Project TEAM, via a dedicated industry stand. This included the brand-new OMA and EuPRAXIA brochures containing detailed information about both projects, as well as leaflets about AVA, EuroCirCol, FCC and ARIES. Upcoming events such as the OMA School on Monte Carlo studies in November 2017, our AVA Antimatter Physics School end of June 2018, and the EuPRAXIA Symposium in Liverpool in July 2018 were also announced for the first time.
Prof Welsch said: “IBIC17 was an ideal event to meet beam instrumentation experts from around the world and an excellent meeting point to learn about and discuss the latest beam diagnostics developments.”