Accelerator Report: Protons are heading towards the LHC

By Matteo Solfaroli, Deputy Leader of the Operations Group (BE-OP)

Many activities are currently progressing across the accelerator chain as the complex moves steadily towards full operation. In the injectors, beam commissioning is advancing well, with the highlights being the start of the physics programme at ELENA on 20 February and the ongoing scrubbing run in the SPS.

The SPS has just completed its first week of beam commissioning. Physics delivery beams have been set up in the SPS ring and low-intensity beams have been prepared for both fast and slow extraction to serve the downstream machines and experimental facilities. The machine has now entered the intensity ramp-up phase during the so-called scrubbing run. This is a crucial commissioning step, required whenever the beam pipe has been opened to air for interventions or routine maintenance, during which surfaces inevitably become contaminated through atmospheric exposure. Although mitigation measures are implemented during these interventions, subsequent surface conditioning with beam is almost always necessary.