ISOLDE prepares for a higher energy proton beam

At ISOLDE – CERN’s Isotope Separator On-Line facility – a major project of Long Shutdown 3 is to consolidate and upgrade the transfer line connecting the Proton Synchrotron Booster to ISOLDE.

The transfer line was originally designed to operate with 1 GeV protons but has operated at 1.4 GeV since the 2000s. It is now being reconfigured to deliver 2 GeV proton beams to ISOLDE to increase exotic-isotope production yields.

Some existing magnets will be reused, but new magnets are required to meet the upgraded beam-energy requirements. Several magnets have therefore been removed from the line – a handling operation that presented many challenges.

After more than three decades of operation, the target area had accumulated shielding, services and handling systems, leaving very limited space and making some transport routes unusable. In addition, residual dose rates remained in some areas, requiring movable shielding and carefully planned handling procedures.

Thanks to extensive preparation, ten magnets – ranging from smaller units to 8.5-tonne dipoles – were already successfully extracted.

The photos show an 8.5-tonne dipole being prepared and transported on electrically powered rollers through a very narrow passage.