arXiv · 2511.02151
Plasma Processing of FRIB Low-Beta Cryomodules using Higher-Order-Modes
Abstract
Improvement in SRF accelerator performance after in-tunnel plasma processing has been seen at SNS and CEBAF. Plasma processing development for FRIB quarter-wave and half-wave resonators (QWRs, HWRs) was initiated in 2020. Plasma processing on individual QWRs (beta = 0.085) and HWRs (beta = 0.53) has been found to significantly reduce field emission. A challenge for the FRIB cavities is the relatively weak fundamental power coupler (FPC) coupling strength (chosen for efficient continuous-wave acceleration), which produces a lot of mismatch during plasma processing at room temperature. For FRIB QWRs, driving the plasma with higher-order modes (HOMs) is beneficial to reduce the FPC mismatch and increase the plasma density. The first plasma processing trial on a spare FRIB QWR cryomodule was done in January 2024, with before-and-after bunker tests and subsequent installation into the linac tunnel. The first in-tunnel plasma processing trial was completed in September 2025. For both cryomodules, before-and-after cold tests showed a significant increase in the average accelerating gradient for field emission onset after plasma processing for some cavities. In parallel with the cryomodule trials, the use of dual-drive plasma is being explored with the goal of improving the effectiveness of plasma processing.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
P. Tutt, W. Chang, K. Elliott, W. Hartung, S. Kim, K. Saito, T. Xu. 2025-11-04. Plasma Processing of FRIB Low-Beta Cryomodules using Higher-Order-Modes. https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.02151
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.