The Lansce Switchyard Kicker Project

Until 2003, the existing configuration of the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center (LANSCE) switchyard did not allow simultaneous delivery of the H⁻beam to Lines D and X. In the late 1990’ s, with increased activities in Areas B and C, which serve the ultracold neutron experiments (UCN) and proton radiography (pRad), respectively, planning began to increase beam availability to all areas by installing a kicker system, dubbed the "Switchyard Kicker." The Switchyard Kicker is a system of two pulsed and two direct current magnets that enables simultaneous, uninterrupted beam delivery to Line D for the Lujan Center and the Weapons Neutron Research (WNR) Facility and, on request, a tailored H⁻beam pulse to Line X for the pRad and UCN research areas. The project received funding in July 2001 for design and implementation. During the 2003 Extended Maintenance Period this upgrade was installed in the Switchyard and commissioned during the Accelerator Turn-On period in the summer of 2003. With the commissioning successful, LANSCE now routinely operates in "Kick" mode, delivering simultaneous beam to Line X and Line D, increasing beam availability to all areas and simplifying production scheduling.

THE NEW KICKER SYSTEM

The Switchyard at LANSCE is the beam line area where beam is bent to Line D for beam delivery to the Lujan Center and WNR and, on request, a tailored H¯ beam pulse is delivered to Line X for pRad or UCN. The Switchyard Kicker upgrade now allows for beam delivery to the two beam line simultaneously. The design focused on risk reduction and cost efficiency. The kicker magnets and modulators were updated copies of an existing unit that has proven to be highly reliable in the Proton Storage Ring (PSR) injection line.