IBIC2026 - 15th International Beam Instrumentation Conference

Optical imaging–based beam instrumentation for high-power accelerator commissioning and operation at the spallation neutron source

THRT03

3 Sept 2026, 10:00

20m

Rainbow Theatre (Whistler Conference Centre)

Contributed Oral Presentation MC09: Overview and Commissioning Invited Talk (Luca Egoriti)

Speaker

Abdurahim Oguz (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Description

The recently completed Proton Power Upgrade (PPU) project at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) doubled the accelerator’s design capability from 1.4 to 2.8 MW by increasing the beam energy from 1.0 to 1.3 GeV and the beam current from 26 to 38 mA. Following multiple installation phases and extensive beam commissioning, SNS achieved reliable operation at 1.9 MW on target at 1.3 GeV in late 2025. Throughout this process, optical imaging–based beam instrumentation played a critical role in machine commissioning, tuning, and high-power operation. This paper reports commissioning results from several key optical diagnostic systems deployed during the PPU, including the stripper foil temperature monitoring system, ring injection dump imaging system, electron catcher imaging system, and target imaging system.