CEBAF Achieves 12 GeV Beam Energy with Major Upgrades

The Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) has undergone significant upgrades, achieving a beam energy of 12 GeV. This enhancement was made possible by the addition of 11 new high-performance cryomodules, which house a total of 88 superconducting cavities. These cavities have been operational in continuous wave mode at an average accelerating gradient of 20 MV/m.

The upgrade process involved a comprehensive review of the previous 6 GeV CEBAF system, focusing on the new beam acceleration systems. Key improvements included:

• Doubling the acceleration in each linac.
• Enhancements to beam recirculation magnets.
• Increased helium cooling capacity to support the new modules.
• The addition of a new experimental hall.
• Various upgrades to other accelerator components.

The document also discusses techniques used to operate and analyze the performance of the accelerator, documenting operational experiences and performance metrics. Future plans to improve the accelerator's performance and ensure reliable operation are also outlined.

For those interested in utilizing CEBAF, the paper provides a summary of performance and quality measures for the beams delivered to each experimental hall, which can be found in the appendix.

This information is crucial for researchers and institutions that rely on CEBAF for experimental physics, as it outlines the capabilities and improvements of the facility, ensuring that users can plan their experiments effectively.

The paper titled "The Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility at 12 GeV" is authored by P. A. Adderley et al. and can be cited as arXiv:2408.16880.