CRYSBEAM
Crysbeam is a project that aims to use bent crystals for the extraction of the high-energy LHC beam. The ultimate goal is to study the interaction of a beam of 7 TeV charged particles with a fixed target. This would allow for example to study the interactions of hadrons (such as protons or ions) with nuclear matter. This type of study would lead to a better understanding of the interaction mechanisms of very high energy cosmic rays with the earth's atmosphere. Therefore, a better understanding of their origin could be reached, which is still not entirely clear today.
Crysbeam was funded from 2014 to 2019 by an ERC Consolidator Grant which made it possible to substantially advance the use of bent crystals for handling charged particles. A crystal is capable of trapping charged particles if they have a momentum in a direction almost parallel to the lattice planes. This entrapment phenomenon - known as channeling - combined with a mechanical deflection of the reticular planes, allows to deflect beams with an energy of 7 TeV: deflection angles are obtained for which magnetic fields of 100 T would be needed!
Crysbeam's group participated in the observation of proton channeling obtained with the LHC beam in 2016 (PLB 758 (2016) 129) via a silicon crystal. Crysbeam has created "long" crystals optimized for the extraction of the proton or ion beam (EPJC 78, 729 (2018)). In addition, prototypes of detectors were built for the characterization of the extracted beam (based on the use of the Cherenkov effect) and for the absorption of the extracted beam. To date, bent crystals are installed in the LHC as collimators. At CERN, as part of the Physics Beyond Collider initiative (https://indico.cern.ch/event/1002356/), it is under discussion the use of crystals for fixed target physics in the ALICE experiment and for the study of the dipole moment magnetic and electric baryons (Seldom project). The prototypes made by Crysbeam are the basis for these future developments.
Websites:
Thesis Opportunities:
For information regarding thesis opportunities, please contact Gianluca Cavoto or visit the thesis webpage of the Physics Department: link.
Local Coordinator
Gianluca Cavoto| Name | Surname | Role | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gianluca | Cavoto | Associato | Prof. Associato |
| Francesco | Iacoangeli | Dipendente | Tecnologo |