Laser wire beam profile monitor in the spallation neutron source (SNS) superconducting linac

The spallation neutron source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is an accelerator-based, neutron-scattering facility. SNS uses a large-scale, high-energy superconducting linac (SCL) to provide high beam power utilizing hydrogen ion (H−) beams. For the diagnostics of high-brightness H− beams in the SCL, nonintrusive methods are preferred. This paper describes design, implementation, theoretical analysis, and experimental demonstration of a nonintrusive profile monitor system based on photodetachment, also known as laser wire, installed in the SNS SCL. The SNS laser wire system is the world's largest of its kind with a capability of measuring horizontal and vertical profiles of an operational H− beam at each of the 23 cryomodule stations along the SCL beam line by employing a single light source. Presently 9 laser wire stations have been commissioned that measure profiles of the H− beam at energy levels from 200 MeV to 1 GeV. The laser wire diagnostics has no moving parts inside the beam pipe, causes no contamination on the superconducting cavity, and can be run parasitically on an operational neutron production H− beam.