Fermilab's FAST/IOTA accelerator test facility has successfully accelerated and stored its first proton beams.
US researchers have successfully accelerated and stored the first proton beams inside a specialized accelerator test facility, paving the way for more powerful particle collider s.According to Fermilab , US’ particle physics and accelerator laboratory, the feat opens the door for advances in high-intensity beam physics, AI applications and future experiments such as the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.
It was carried out at the FAST/IOTA accelerator test facility, a research platform designed specifically to explore experimental concepts which are difficult to test in large operational accelerators. “This marks a major advancement for our R&D program,” Jonathan Jarvis, PhD, a physics expert and director of Fermilab’s Accelerator Research Division, reported. “This new proton-beam capability lets us address the challenges we’ll face as we increase the beam power in Fermilab’s accelerators.”A beam of progressFAST/IOTA, or the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology facility and the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator ring, functions as a dedicated research and development site for accelerator physics. It ensures the US remains a leader in high-energy particle physics. Accelerators allow researchers to study the universe at extremely small scales by propelling beams of particles to high speeds before directing them into targets or collisions.But, raising the intensity and stability of these beams presents great engineering and physics challenges. By circulating the first proton beams inside the storage ring, which is equipped with unique magnets, the scientists can now investigate new approaches to control and stabilize high-intensity beams. Trey Thompson is an engineering physicist on the FAST/IOTA team.Credit: JJ Starr, FermilabAccording to the scientists, protons in the experiment travel at roughly 7 percent of the speed of light. This gives them a way to test accelerator technologies in real conditions.At the same time, the lab is upgrading its high-power proton accelerator complex through the PIP-II project. The upgrade will support higher-intensity beams for the neutrino program, including the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.“FAST/IOTA is a dedicated R&D accelerator complex that provides us the freedom to explore high-risk, high-reward ideas,” Jarvis pointed out. “These ideas could dramatically improve the way we design, build and operate particle accelerators.”Accelerator innovationsThe novel capability was made possible by installing a dedicated proton injector. As per the team, it combines a low-voltage proton source with a radio-frequency quadrupole accelerator to generate a beam for the IOTA ring for experiments. “Researchers can conduct tests and experiments without tying up the operations of a larger production facility,” Trey Thompson, a FAST/IOTA physicist, said. “We can shut down, swap out part of the ring and install new experiments without the usual constraints.”The upgrade will also help the facility pioneer the use of artificial intelligence in accelerator design and operations. “About half of our program now focuses on enhancing accelerators with AI,” Jarvis explained. A Danilov-Nagaitsev magnet in the FAST/IOTA test facility.Credit: Ryan Postel, FermilabThe team is also designing detailed digital models that replicate the behavior of the real machine. “These virtual accelerators allow us to train AI systems to optimize performance and discover new configurations,” Jarvis addedOnce the researchers identify promising strategies in simulations, they can test them directly on the physical accelerator. “We used AI tools to help optimize the output of the proton source,” Chip Edstrom, Fermilab physicist, noted. The team applied algorithms that treat the system as a black box, meaning they do not need to understand every internal detail. They instead optimize operating parameters based on performance data.“This is the realization of a vision that began over a decade ago,” Jarvis revealed in a press release. “We’ve built a uniquely capable facility that will help guide the operation and design of next-generation accelerators – from Fermilab’s own PIP-II project to machines around the world.”
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