The European Spallation Source (ESS) is a multi-disciplinary research centre currently under construction in Lund, Sweden. When complete, the ESS will be the brightest neutron source in the world, enabling new opportunities for researchers across a broad range of scientific areas. The project is being funded by Sweden and multiple other European nations, including the UK.
ASTeC is leading the UK’s in-kind contribution programme for the accelerator systems delivery to the ESS, harnessing its critical expertise in Radio Frequency (RF) and Ultra-high Vacuum (UHV) science. Through an integrated partnership with specialist teams in the Technology Department of Daresbury Laboratory, an extensive programme is being delivered over the period 2014 to 2020.
Provision of Superconducting RF high beta cavities and Linac Warm Unit modules were the latest phase of the UK accelerator system delivery. The first ESS superconducting high-β accelerating cavity procured by STFC and manufactured by Research Instruments (Germany), has been successfully tested at DESY and exceeds significantly the performance targets required for ESS (19.9 MV/m at a Q of 1.4 x1010).
This first successful demonstration enables the refined cavity surface processing recipe to be qualified and thereby releases an additional number of pre-series cavities for final stage manufacture. The results of this first test have significantly de-risked the final stage production for the complete 88 accelerating cavities required for UK delivery to ESS.