IR FEL Monthly Report for June 1997

Navy IR Demo Contract WBS Elements

WBS 1 Project Management

June 1997 was the twelfth full month for the IR Demo project funded by the Navy.

Management

The IR FEL Demo project through the month of June 1997 has a total of $6,816k (less SRF and building) of performance scheduled. The work performed through the current period is $6,221k or 77% complete versus 84% scheduled. The actual costs accrued through June totals $7,053k. This results in a schedule variance of -$595k and a negative cost variance of $832k.

Highlights of the month include the installation of the quarter cryomodule in the FEL User Facility. The ITS work in the Test Lab was completed.

The second meeting of SURA's Maritime Technical Advisory Committee was held on June 9-10. The Committee reviewed the laboratory's FEL development program, the Navy's interest in high energy lasers and the potential linkage of these interests. Recent assessments from ONR have significantly impacted the prospects for FY98 Navy funding. Although, the ONR assessment was positive with respect to the broad utility of the Jefferson Lab program for industry and materials science, the Navy has declined near term support for laser technology for more general defense applications because of the current tight budgets and higher priority development programs. MTAC has recommended that we focus all available FY97 Navy funding and any potential FY98 funding (which will not be determined until the end of the current Congressional deliberations) towards commissioning and operating the baseline 1 kW demo and, as funds permit, initiate the upgrade program to shorter wavelengths and higher powers.

At the request of Navy program office, revised proposals were forwarded on June 16 for use of the $3.7M of FY97 DOD appropriations planned for allocation to Jefferson Lab for July 1997-Sept. 1998 FEL activities.

The Navy Program Office reviewed the status of the ITS experiments and the cryounit warm window development effort during a half day review following the MTAC meeting. Criteria for declaring completion of the ITS tests were agreed upon which allowed start of the ITS cryounit move to the FEL Facility and the ITS gun move on June 23. (See ITS report for details.)

A successful Laser Processing Workshop was held on June 25-26. Approximately 50 attendees representing most of the LPC institutions participated in the workshop. Accomplishments at the workshop included initiation of a series of proposals to be developed over the summer for initial R&D projects with the FEL and planning by three of the working groups (polymers, metals and microfabrication) for fit-up of the User Laboratory.

Solarex, a photovoltaic manufacturer, was visited by Jefferson Lab, Old Dominion University and William and Mary on June 3. Discussions are underway for collaborative university and joint research using the FEL and the Applied Research Center.

On June 2, Senator Warner invited representatives of SURA, Jefferson Lab, and SURA's Maritime Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) for a briefing on the status of the FEL project and outyear funding prospects.

Jefferson Laboratory hosted a visit on June 18 from DOE Office of Energy Research senior management for their review of the laboratory's institutional plan. The visit included a status report on the IR Demo project and a tour of the FEL Facility.

WBS 5.0 Instrumentation & Controls

Beam Instrumentation: The BPM electronics are being prepared for installation. Most all of the required pieces are on site; the RF cable assemblies have been procured and delivered, the recycled 4-channel electronics have been identified and tested, and all of the Switched Electrode Electronics (SEE) are ready for installation. The bulk of the installation activities will commence after the July shutdown of the CEBAF accelerator July 17. The M56 path length cavities have been delivered for frequency checking prior to brazing. The drive electronics for these cavities are ready for installation. The 13 back leg BPM's have been mounted to the girders and are in the tunnel. The Happek interferometer is still scheduled for testing at Vanderbilt in mid-July.

Safety Systems: The Oxygen Deficiency Hazard (ODH) system was successfully commissioned and certified prior to the cool down of the quarter cryomodule. The remainder of the Personnel Safety (PSS) remains on schedule for completion on or before Aug. 15. The Machine Protection System (MPS) design review was postponed until after the July shutdown. Fabrication continues on MPS subsystems. The access control and laser safety system was installed in the drive laser clean room. The preliminary design is complete for access control using smart cards for FEL and user access to labs, high power optics control room, and for the drive laser.

Controls: The Injector Test Stand (ITS) server computer was moved to the FEL building; this will be used to bring up the drive laser controls and for RF re-commissioning of the quarter cryomodule. The Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS) for the server computers did not fit in the CEBAF standard racks; new racks were purchased from Hewlett Packard. The new racks were delivered late June and the UPS's were installed. The main servers will be installed in July and be run for two to three weeks to demonstrate stability of the new auto redundant configuration prior to full operation. The three networks are up and operational. The Central Helium Liquifier (CHL) has a separate direct fiber optic link for control for the cryogenics systems, this along with the power from the CHL should prevent any problem local to the FEL building from crashing the CHL. The controls network hub was setup and installed, all of the cabling is in place but not completely terminated. This network will be used for running both the final redundant servers and the temporary ITS servers along with all of the IOC's. The CEBAF LAN cabling is also complete but not yet terminated. A temporary hub has been installed for operation of this network. This enabled the use of local PC's and printers in the building. The software group continues to make progress, most of the sub-system requirements and channel assignments have been turned over.

Vacuum Controls: The vacuum system control crates are being fabricated on site at CEBAF. There are two crates to handle the entire machine, these need to be in prior to the SRF commissioning of the quarter and full cryomodule in August. The ion pump power supply control cards are being fabricated on the outside, half of the required PCB's have been shipped, these will be tested following the July shutdown.

DC Power: The first shunt regulator has been installed in the FEL. The box power supplies (salvaged from a CEBAF energy upgrade) were removed from CEBAF, one will be used in the magnet test stand for now and the other will be moved to the FEL in a couple weeks. The trim cables (power supplies to junction box) were installed but not yet terminated.



WBS 6 Cryogenic Distribution

Transfer lines finished, purified and ready to cooldown. Cooldown is scheduled to begin 7/7/97.

All necessary U-tubes and other support systems ready.

WBS 7 Beam Transport

The first optical chicane dipole magnet was successfully assembled. Reverse bend and 180 degree cores continue in final machining while the injection/extraction dipoles are almost-complete. All injection/extraction dipole coils are complete, as are most reverse bend coils. Tooling for the last and most complex dipole coils (for the 180 degree dipoles coils) is being prepared for winding in early July.

We signed-off and are bidding the Panofsky trim quad. Sextupole cores and coils remain on track for a delivery on July 8.

In the corrector area, four styles are in design. Three styles (four units of each required) are being made with mu metal cores. A remaining style, a nested horizontal and vertical air core coil set is being used for all 26 BPM and 2x4 chamber locations. We will utilize this construction method for the remaining style that will be a more uniform field replacement for the 5 positions we had originally assigned to Haimson correctors.

In the vacuum system, substantial progress was made in setting up the fabrication processes for welded chambers with three welders being trained. More formalized welding and cleaning specifications were signed and the X and Y chamber bodies were completed.

General design effort concentrated on the remaining arc stands and the stands, vacuum pipes and shielding stands associated with the dumps. Of the remaining two vacuum related components required, the insertable dump was signed off and the three units placed in fabrication while the design of the beam scraper started.

The shunts for adjusting magnet strengths in the dipoles strings were completed and are being calibrated while the European vendor making the two major power supplies that are not on hand (for injection and extraction dipole strings) is projecting an early September delivery if we authorize air freight.

Overall summary, dipole measurement, chamber welding and correctors are on the critical path.

WBS 8 RF Systems

The high voltage power supply gas filled transmission line elbow was placed for fabrication. Promised delivery in 30 days.

The gun power supply high voltage multiplier stack was mounted in the tank, and measurements taken to make modifications to the P.S. support arm. The modifications were made, and we are preparing to re-mount the multiplier stack in the tank.

Hipotronics has still not completed the acceptance test on the klystron power supply. It now looks like possibly the second week of July.

We made several operational tests of the magnetostrictive tuner. We were able to easily lock the frequency in closed loop. The system was very stable. We noted however that the tuning range was very limited (a fraction of a bandwidth )

Hosted ALS group who are investigating the use of a 1.5 GHz cavity for bunch lengthening in the ALS. Possibility of using CEBAF or BNL cavity design with a CEBAF type RF system.

WBS 9.2 Injector Move

With the shutdown of the Injector test stand, good progress was made in moving major components of the injector to the new building. The crane rail was installed and tested. All stands located after the cryounit were installed and aligned. The stands located before the cryounit were all installed. The cryounit and gun were moved into the injector pit. One 50 kW klystron and HPA, the buncher klystron and HPA, and the low level racks were all transferred to the klystron gallery. The clean room for the drive laser was completed except for some punch list items and certification. The laser safety system, the optical bench, the laser, its chiller, and its control electronics were installed in the clean room. The new mirror cans for the drive laser optical transport were designed and in check by months end. All components for the high voltage tank were ordered and progress was made towards installing the high voltage power supply in the tank.

WBS 9.4 Wiggler

The wiggler girder assembly was completed and the girder was given to alignment for fiducialization and alignment. The alignment crew discovered some problems in the quadrupole girders which were then modified. High quality tubing for the the wiggler vacuum chamber was made and test welds of the tubing were made in an effort to find the best way to weld the tubing. The supports for the vacuum chamber were received.

WBS 9.6 Optics

It was an extremely busy and productive month for FEL Optics. The optical cavity assembly parts went through the initial UHV cleaning procedure fairly rapidly, then got stalled when concern for particulate levels was raised. A procedure was ironed out late in the month, and the parts are now being cleaned again. We hope to have the cavities assembled in the building bythe end of next month. The sapphire mirrors from Research Electro-Optics (REO) and the calcium fluoride mirrors from Rocky Mountain Instruments (RMI) were received. The RMI optics were sent for metrology tests, and appear to have failed to meet the ROC spec. We have returned them to RMI to verify these results, then we will determine a course of action. The REO mirrors arrived too late in the month to have results for this report period. The optical tables that the cavity components are on were moved downstairs and onto their supports. They are being aligned. We tested the indium braze used to heat sink a calcium fluoride window (simulating one of our cavity mirrors) to it's copper holder. This worked well with uncoated substrates, but coated substrates cracked during cooldown. We believe we can prevent this by cooling more slowly; this will be tested next month. The Brewster window pickoffs (one plus a spare) that are used for laser output monitoring were received and passed inspection. They are being cleaned for vacuum service. We have tested various cameras for electron beam diagnostics. We determined the best pellicles to use for monitoring alignment should be highly reflecting, as expected. The Mach-Zehnder interferometer was mounted on the optical tables in the FEL building and measurements indicate a relative change in separation between the two optical tables of about +/- 60nm. The fundamental frequency of the oscillation is ~28-29 Hz. While the amplitude of the vibration will not impact performance, we are still interested in determining the cause, and will investigate it.

The mirror can order was completely received and inspected. The mirror can stands were received, but some were sent back to be reworked. This was done, and we are ready to begin installing mirror cans once the anchors are set. We received parts for the optical collimator, such as the 3" molybdenum mirrors. Drawings for the output Brewster windows that transition the beam to the user labs were signed and released.

ITS drive laser

This marks the final report of drive laser operation in the ITS. This month the drive laser was operated for over 280 hrs in support of gun experiments. The power output was stable over this period, with further increases in performance when the metal pump volute was replaced with one made of PVC. The overall extinction ratio of the EO modulators was deemed "very good' by the operators. They also appreciated the ability to remotely control the DC bias on the modulators. We have noted "ringing" of the micropulse amplitude when long (e.g., 1 ms) macropulses are created. We are working with the vendor to determine the nature of this behavior and remedy it. The laser was shut down and moved to the new Clean room on 30 June. We will begin operations as soon as utilities are completed.

Injector, SRF, Facility, and Other Activities Outside Navy IR Demo Contract

INJECTOR TEST STAND

Both the gun and cryounit were moved to the FEL Facility this month after completion of extensive testing. Consequently, this will be our last monthly report on the ITS.

Prior to moving the gun, we completed the planned measurements of bunch length and longitudinal emittance, obtaining a complete set of "good" data for 10, 60, and 135 pC bunch charges. Although we still need to analyze the totality of the data carefully, preliminary indications are that they agree very closely with the predictions of simulations (PARMELA).

At high bunch charges, we detected scraping of the outer parts of the beam on the light box at the exit of the gun, and we also tended to see a relatively rapid degradation in the photocathode lifetime. In view of these observations, we did an experiment to measure the influence of dark current on photocathode lifetime. Our goal was to try to eliminate this as a possible cause. The net result is that there was no obvious dependence of the cathode lifetime on whether the high voltage was on or off, nor on the solenoid strength. This means that something other than the bad effects of field emission or the simple presence of high voltage on the cathode was shortening the photocathode lifetime. Whatever was doing the damage was associated with electrons being emitted, and the decay was likely determined by where these electrons went. It is conceivable that things will be better in the FEL injector, wherein the beam will go through the cryounit as opposed to directly into a nearby dump, as long as there is no significant scraping along the way.

Assuming identical performance of the gun after it is installed in the FEL injector, we anticipate the photocathode lifetime is sufficiently long to support all commissioning activities through first light, but it is insufficient to support commissioning for full-power performance. However, this assessment might prove to be mitigated by a dearth of statistical results on photocathodes and by removal of the dump that was located relatively near the cathode in the gun experiments. We will learn more when we begin turning on the injector, and we will naturally acquire more statistics. Off line, as part of the nuclear-physics program, we will also learn more about cathodes other than GaAs that may prove beneficial in the FEL gun.

Prior to moving the injector cryounit to the FEL Facility, we completed testing its waveguides with forward power limited to 10 kW. Test results verified that the ceramic warm windows will support planned commissioning of the IRFEL all the way through first light with head room available. We also did a first test of the magnetostrictive tuners on the cryounit. These tuners are designed for compensating the modest frequency shifts that will result from electron-beam loading during turn-on of the injector, which is a relatively slow process. The tuners have a bandwidth of 0.3 kHz. We found that we could successfully drive and lock them over their bandwidth, thereby validating their operability.

WBS 3 - CRYOMODULE

Warm Window

Work continues on three warm window efforts. The existing window design is being supported with studies on ceramic performance. The intermediate firing process has been eliminated as a source for degradation of ceramic performance. Excessive ceramic heating is a property of the initial material state and appropriate ceramics have been identified and procured to support window fabrication. Windows are in fabrication at this time. Additionally the Northrop Grumman window design is nearing prototype completion. Final flange parts are in fabrication at a local machine shop and are scheduled for completion in early July. Fabrication will continue with in house brazing of final components. The third design has been progressing with finalized calculations for RF performance and mechanical designs are progressing. Material has been ordered for prototype flange components. Additionally e-beam weld parameters have been developed to support potential flange design fabrication.

Cryomodule

The third cryounit has been delivered to the cryomodule assembly area and is waiting for cryogenic piping and beam pipe installation. The fourth cryounit is progressing with extremely good progress. Schedule is continuing to be made up in the cryounit assembly area. The cryomodule installation schedule for 4 August is still being supported and should be accomplished.

WBS 2 -- BEAM PHYSICS

Follow-up studies with the simulation code PARMELA were started to support an investigation of the source of scraping in the light box of the photocathode gun (mentioned above in the "Injector Test Stand" section). Thus far, identification of the source of scraping remains inconclusive.

Simulations of the electron beam from the photocathode to the wiggler proceeded. They were designed to include the last revision of the gun in which the cathode-anode spacer is inserted, and to integrate the ensuing electron-beam dynamics with the capabilities of the diagnostic hardware that is being installed. Simulations will continue toward determining sensitivities to machine settings as they relate to bunch charge.

An initial test plan for coherent-synchrotron-radiation (CSR) experiments was devised. Sustaining these experiments early in the commissioning process should not be a problem, even at 135 pC/bunch, because they will be done in pulsed mode, i.e., at low average current. If the software is available, we will try to augment the measurements with phase-space tomography.

We made noteworthy progress on self-consistent N-body simulations that include CSR. The simulations incorporate Gaussian macroparticles, as opposed to point particles, to eliminate numerical noise. The key ingredient is a correct calculation of the interaction force between macroparticles, and we have developed what appears to be an efficient algorithm for this calculation. To benchmark the algorithm, we simulated the dynamics of the Gaussian rigid-line charge using macroparticles and checked to see if the code replicated our analytical steady-state wakefield, and it rapidly did so with only 40 macroparticles. Having thereby established the validity and efficiency of the algorithm in one dimension, we are moving on to two dimensions. The force is correspondingly more complicated, but the ingredients of the algorithm remain unchanged. Although it remains to determine the speed and efficiency of the calculations in two dimensions, the prognosis for having a self-consistent simulation tool available in the next few months is good. Of course, our intent is to use it to predict more accurately emittance growth in the bends of the transport lattice of the IRFEL and correlate the results with those of the planned experiments.

WBS 4 -- IRFEL COMMISSIONING/OPERATION

The principal focus of this month's commissioning-related activities was on assimilating results of the experiments in the Injector Test Stand and advising on the content of the ITS experimental program. Key consequences of these activities are documented above in the "Injector Test Stand" and "Beam Physics" sections, to which we refer the reader.

There was considerable interplay between our lattice designer and magnet engineers to assess the relative importance of various manufacturing complications involving the mounting of mu-metal sheets in the reverse-bend dipole magnets. The complications were eventually resolved at the vendor, and so the dipole magnets are being built per their original design.

A concerted effort is continuing toward establishing the design of the weak-field corrector magnets to aid in commissioning. We are planning to use mu-metal correctors in the eight high-aspect-ratio positions in the recirculation arcs as well as for the four phasing positions near the 180-degree bend magnets. However, this is subject to verification that the mu-metal does not saturate in the presence of fringe fields from the adjacent magnets. An experimental technique was devised to measure cross-talk between sextupole, trim quad, and mu-metal corrector magnets, and the experiments are planned into the overall program in the Magnet Test Stand. As regards the remainder of the corrector magnets, three-dimensional magnet modeling is underway to establish their conceptual design. At month's end, indications were that air-core correctors could be designed to provide the desired 1% field flatness, and that they would be relatively easy to fabricate.

We decided on the hardware for the magnetic-field-measurement probes for the dipole magnets. The probes are off-the-shelf, obtained from Rawson-Lush Instrument Co. They have very good absolute measurement and good reproducibility. However, they do present a challenge in that the probes are much larger than a normal Hall probe, and mounting them in the tight magnets will be difficult. We believe the difficulty is manageable.

At month's end, an effort was underway to ascertain whether the tight alignment tolerances on the quadrupoles immediately preceding the wiggler could be met by way of the conventional Jefferson Lab alignment procedures. Specifically, residual twist, yaw, and pitch in these magnets are potentially of concern. We are modelling the effects of these possible alignment "errors" on the beam leading to the wiggler to obtain a more refined specification on alignment tolerances and/or a methodology for achieving them.

Facility

The building was effectively completed this month. While there are a few touch up areas remaining (especially outside landscaping), the building is complete in its functionality with only minor exceptions such as the elevator. Even that is within a few days of completion. The contractor will be on a punch list starting in July. Specific work this month included the following:

Drywall work was completed everywhere. HVAC units were turned on and balanced. The system is fully operational. Plumbing fixtures were installed. Bathrooms are now functional but some touchup remains. Tiling was completed in the labs, gallery, downstairs and in the bathrooms. The cryogenic lines were hooked up to the CHL and began circulating gaseous helium in preparation for LHe. LCW and instrument air pipe welding on the walls continued. Safety systems equipment made major progress in getting things ready to go. ODH sensors are already activated in preparation for LHe operation. RF staff moved ITS racks into the FEL building after the ITS shut down. Hookup and checkout has begun. A large number of workbenchs were placed in the building as were equipment cabinets and electronics support equipment. The elevator installation was completed except for a punch list. The optical tables for the accelerator vault were placed on stands and initial survey performed. They need a slight shift to bring them into position. Vibration levels were measured and determined to be insignificant. The photo-injector clean room was hooked up to electricity and HVAC. It was cleaned and the optical table, electrical rack, and coherent laser installed. It will soon be operational. The high voltage power supply installation into its tank began.

All of these efforts successfully brought the building construction effort to a point were the facility can support all activities needed to get the FEL installed and operational. The major tasks now shift to Jefferson Lab staff to bring the systems to completion in the next three months. We are on track to do that. The closeout negotiations with the contractor will begin shortly.

Upcoming Meetings and Reviews

International FEL Conference, Beijing, August 18-22, 1997

SURA Science and Technology Review, Sept. 16-17, 1997