Longitudinal Coupled-Bunch Instabilities in the CERN PS

Longitudinal coupled bunch instabilities in the CERN PS represent a major limitation to the high brightness beam delivered for the LHC. To identify possible impedance sources for these instabilities, machine development studies have been carried out. The growth rates of coupled bunch modes have been measured, and modes have been identified using mountain range data. Growth rate estimations from coupled bunch mode theory are compared to these results. It is shown that the longitudinal impedance of the broad resonance curve of the main 10 MHz RF system can be identified as the most probable source. Several modes are driven simultaneously due to the large width of the resonance, which is considered for the analysis.