ILC Main Linac R&D
Consisting of 16,000 superconducting cavities and stretching more than 20 miles in length, the main linac is one of the biggest cost drivers for the ILC and hence a central area of focus for the global R&D program. Because Fermilab is playing a leading role in establishing the US technical capabilities in superconducting RF cavity and cryomodule technology, the laboratory will carry out a significant number of main linac R&D activities.
These include fabricating more than 70 superconducting cavities over the next two years.
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| The Main Linac |
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A number of these cavities will get assembled into cryomodules, another area of R&D for Fermilab. In collaboration with DESY, INFN, and KEK, scientists from Fermilab are playing a leading role in the cryomodule design for the ILC. Also part of the main linac R&D program, Fermilab conducts superconducting RF material research. These activities play an integral part in improving cavity performance, particularly for understanding failures in the materials. In addition, Fermilab already has a 3.9 Ghz cavity program in place. These third harmonic cavities will be used in DESY’s TTF/FLASH accelerator. Even though these cavities won’t be specifically used for ILC R&D, the knowledge gained will contribute to the overall global project by advancing superconducting technology.
