PHY 543: RF superconductivity for accelerators

The course will be taught remotely via Zoom. A Zoom meeting link will be sent to registered students via email before the first lecture.

The students are expected to have access to a computer equipped with a microphone for interaction with instructors and other students. Having a camera is not required.

Purpose and Audience

This graduate level course covers application of radio frequency (RF) superconductivity to contemporary particle accelerators: particle colliders, storage rings for X-ray production, pulsed and CW linear accelerators (linacs), energy recovery linacs (ERLs), etc. The course will address both physics and engineering aspects of the field. It will cover fundamentals of RF superconductivity, types of superconducting radio frequency (SRF) accelerating structures, performance-limiting phenomena, beam-cavity interaction issues specific to superconducting cavities, approaches to designing SRF systems and engineering of superconducting cavity cryomodules. The course is intended for students interested in accelerator physics and technology who want to learn about application of RF superconductivity to particle accelerators.

Prerequisites: Classical mechanics, thermodynamics, electrodynamics, solid state / condensed matter physics and physical or engineering mathematics, all at entrance graduate level.

Objectives 

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to understand the physics underlying RF superconductivity and its application to accelerators, as well as the advantages and limitations of SRF technology. The aim is to provide students with ideas and approaches that enable them to evaluate and solve problems related to the application of superconducting cavities to accelerators, as well actively participate in the development of SRF systems for various accelerators.

Instruction Method 

This course includes a series of lectures and review sessions. Homework problems will be assigned. Homework will be graded, and solutions provided during the review sessions. There will be a final exam at the conclusion of the course. 

Course Content 

The course will include a brief introduction of the basic concepts of microwave cavities and fundamental concepts of RF superconductivity. Then it will cover the beam-cavity interaction issues in accelerators: wake fields and higher-order modes (HOMs) in superconducting structures, associated bunched beam instabilities and approaches to deal with these instabilities (HOM absorbers and couplers, cavity geometry optimization, …), bunch length manipulation with SRF cavities, beam loading effects, etc. Following that we will discuss a systems approach and its application to SRF systems for accelerators. We discuss the ways in which the superconducting material, and in particular the surface, can be modified to improve quality factor and accelerating gradient. Finally, we will address issues related to engineering of the SRF system components: cryostats, cavities, input couplers, HOM loads, and frequency tuners.

Recommended Textbook

While all necessary material will be provided during lectures, we recommend the following textbook for in-depth study of the subject:

RF Superconductivity for Accelerators, by H. Padamsee, J. Knobloch, and T. Hays, John Wiley & Sons, 2nd edition (2008).

Other Reading Recommendations 

It is recommended that students re-familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of electrodynamics at the level of 

• Fields and Waves in Communication Electronics (Chapters 1 through 11) by S. Ramo, J. R. Whinnery, and T. Van Duzer, John Wiley & Sons, 3rd edition (1994) 

• Classical Electrodynamics (Chapters 1 through 8) by J. D. Jackson, John Wiley & Sons, 3rd edition (1999)

or other similar textbooks.

Additional reference books: 

• Handbook of Accelerator Physics and Engineering, edited by A. W. Chao, K. H. Mess, M. Tigner, and F. Zimmermann, World Scientific, 2nd Edition (2013)

• RF Superconductivity: Science, Technology, and Applications, by H. Padamsee, Wiley-VCH (2009)

Online resources: 

• The Physics of Electron Storage Rings: An Introduction, by M. Sands

• Microwave Theory and Applications, by S. F. Adam

• High Energy Electron Linacs: Applications to Storage Ring RF Systems and Linear Colliders, by Perry B. Wilson

Credit Requirements 

Students will be evaluated based on the following performance criteria: final exam (50%), homework assignments and class participation (50%).

Credits earned upon successful completion of this course can be applied toward receiving a Certificate in Accelerator Science and Engineering under the Ernest Courant Traineeship in Accelerator Science & Engineering.

PHY542.01 Course Syllabus

All PHY 543 classes are scheduled for Monday from 6:05 pm to 9:00 pm

January 23 Lecture 1: Introduction - Prof. Belomestnykh

Lecture 2: Particle accelerators & SRF science and technology 

- Prof. Belomestnykh

Accelerators and Beams: Tools of discovery and innovation

Lecture 3: RF fundamentals, part 1 - Dr. Verdú Andrés

January 30 Lecture 4: RF fundamentals, part 2 - Dr. Verdú Andrés

Lecture 5: SRF fundamentals, part 1 - Prof. Belomestnykh

Homework #1, due on February 6, before lecture

February 6 Lecture 6: SRF fundamentals, part 2 - Prof. Belomestnykh

Lecture 7: Cavity performance frontier, part 1 - Prof. Belomestnykh

February 13 Lecture 8: Cavity performance frontier, part 2 - Prof. Belomestnykh

    Lecture 9: SRF system requirements - Prof. Belomestnykh

Homework review session #1

February 20  Lecture 10: Related phenomena - Prof. Petrushina

    Lecture 11: Beam-cavity interaction - Dr. Verdú Andrés

RF_power_with_beam_loading.pdf

    Homework #2, due on February 27, before lecture

February 27 Lecture  12-13: Systems engineering parts 1&2 - Prof. Belomestnykh

March 6  Lecture 14: Cavity design - Prof. Petrushina

Lecture 15: Fundamental power couplers - Prof. Petrushina

Homework review session #2

March 13   Spring Break - no classes 

March 20  Lecture 16: HOM dampers - Prof. Petrushina

Lecture 17: Cavity frequency tuners - Prof. Petrushina

Homework #3, due on March 27, before lecture

March 27 Lecture 18: Case study: Deflecting/crab cavities - Prof. Belomestnykh

    Lecture 19: Cryomodule design - Prof. Belomestnykh

April 3 Lecture 20: Cavities for low- and medium-beta accelerators - Prof. Petrushina

Lecture 21: Case study: SRF guns - Prof. Petrushina      

Homework review session #3

April 10 Lecture 22: Cavity fabrication and processing - Prof. Petrushina

    Lecture 23: SRF cavity testing and instrumentation - Prof. Petrushina

                               Lecture 24:  High power RF systems - Prof. Belomestnykh

Homework #4, due on April 17, before lecture

April 17 Lecture 25-26: Cryogenics - guest lecture by A. Klebaner

April 24 Lecture 27: Case study: LCLS-II - Prof. Belomestnykh       

    Lecture 28: SRF in quantum regime - guest lecture by S. Posen  

Homework review session #4

May 1 Lecture 29: Overview of remaining SRF challenges - Prof. Belomestnykh

    Closing remarks, Q&A session

   Take home Final Exam, due on May 10

(Week of Finals: May 9 - May 17)

Questions?  Send email to 

Prof. Belomestnykh: sergey.belomestnykh-at-stonybrook.edu 

Prof. Petrushina: irina.petrushina-at-stonybrook.edu

Dr. Verdú Andrés: sverdu-at-bnl.gov