12 GeV Upgrade

The 12 GeV Upgrade is highly cost effective due to existing features of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF). The superconducting radiofrequency linear accelerators contain superconducting niobium cavities operating, on average, at 50 percent above their design specifications in accelerating gradient and Q. The success of this technology opens up the possibility of a relatively simple, inexpensive upgrade of CEBAF's top energy. This goal is also made possible due to the CEBAF tunnel "footprint," which was designed so that the magnetic arcs could accommodate an electron beam of up to 24 GeV.