Expected Performance of the LHC Synchrotron-Light Telescope (BSRT) and Abort-Gap Monitor (BSRA)

This Report presents calculations of the synchrotron light from proton and lead-ion beams in the LHC at all energies from 0.45 to 7 TeV. It computes the emission from three sources: the uniform-field region of the D3 dipole, the dipole’s edge field, and the short undulator just upstream. Light emitted at or near visible wavelengths is assessed for making optical measurements of transverse beam profiles and for monitoring the emptiness of the abort gap in the fill pattern. There is sufficient light for both applications, although both species pass through energy ranges in the ramp with small photon counts. Effects limiting image resolution are examined, including geometric optics, depth of field, and diffraction. The Report also considers recent suggestions that the undulator, intended to supplement the dipole for low energies, should not be ramped off at high energies and perhaps should not be used at all. We conclude that the undulator is essential at low energy for both species, but that it is possible to leave the undulator on at the cost of some blurring at intermediate energies.