Construction and commissioning of the S-Band high gradient RF laboratory at IFIC

Abstract

An S-band High-Gradient (HG) Radio Frequency (RF) laboratory is under construction and commissioning at IFIC. The purpose of the laboratory is to perform investigations of high-gradient phenomena and to develop normal-conducting RF technology, with special focus on RF systems for hadron-therapy. The layout of the facility is derived from the scheme of the Xbox-3 test facility at CERN [1] and uses medium peak-power (7.5 MW) and high repetition rate (400 Hz) klystrons, whose RF output is combined to drive two testing slots to the required power. The design and construction of the various components of the system started in 2016 and has been completed. The installation and commissioning of the laboratory is progressing, with first results expected before mid-2018. The technical characteristics of the different elements of the system and the commissioning status together with preliminary results are described.