U.S. Particle Accelerator School
Accelerator Vacuum Engineering course
Sponsoring University:
Texas A&M University
Course:
Accelerator Vacuum Engineering
Instructor:
Louis Bertolini, Lawrence Livermore National Lab
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of this course is to provide the students with an overview of the mechanical design of structures and equipment for particle beam accelerators. This course is suitable for last year undergraduate students or students from other fields considering accelerator engineering or physics as a possible career. This course also can provide a broader background to physicists working in the field of accelerator technology.
Prerequisites
Courses in College Fluid Dynamics or experience in the vacuum engineering field .
Objectives
This introductory course avoids heavy mathematical treatment and will focus on the fundamental principles of the various vacuum pumping concepts available for particle accelerators. Students will be exposed to a variety of materials of construction, methods of fabrication, and preparation and handling techniques. On completion of this course, the students are expected to understand the basic workings of all types of high-vacuum and ultra-high vacuum pumps. Furthermore, they will understand the various mechanisms of gas sources in accelerators and will be able to calculate gas loads and design vacuum systems to meet accelerator requirements.
Instructional Method
This course includes a series of 14 lectures during the morning and afternoon sessions. Evening laboratory sessions will introduce students to vacuum design problems that will enforce the important issues confronting the accelerator vacuum engineer. Problem sets will be assigned during the laboratory sessions with the expectation that they will be completed during those sessions. One instructor will be available at all times.
Course Content
Introductory material will include discussions of vacuum fundamentals, source of gases, materials of construction, and methods of fabrication. The various components that make an accelerator vacuum system such as pumps, bellows, accelerating structures, beam tubes, and instrumentation will be described. In addition, vacuum testing and calculations will be covered.
Reading Requirements
(to be provided by the USPAS) "High-Vacuum Technology, A Practical Guide," Marcel Dekker Publishers (1997) by M.H. Hablanian.
Credit Requirements
Students will be evaluated based on performance as follows: homework assignments (75% of final grade), class participation (25% of final grade).