Alignment and Field Error Tolerance in Linac4

LINAC4 [1] is a linear accelerator for negative Hydrogen ions (H−), which will replace the 50 MeV proton LINAC (LINAC2) as linear injector for the CERN accelerators. The higher output energy (160 MeV) together with charge-exchange injection will allow increasing beam intensity in the following machines. LINAC4 is about 80 m long, normal-conducting, and will be housed in a tunnel 12 m below ground on the CERN Meyrin site. The location has been chosen to allow using LINAC4 as the first stage of acceleration for a Multi-MegaWatt superconducting LINAC (SPL [2]). A 60 m long transfer line brings the beam towards the present LINAC2-to-PS Booster transfer line, which is joined at the position of BHZ20. The new transfer line consists of 17 new quadrupoles, an RF cavity and 4 bending magnets to adjust both the direction and the level for injection into the PS Booster. End-to-end beam dynamics simulations have been carried out in parallel with the codes PATH [3] and TRACEWIN[4]. Following the definition of the layout, statistical studies have been carried out in order to define the alignment tolerances and correction system that guarantee a radiologically safe operation at the highest beam duty cycle as well as the maximum level of RF phase and amplitude jitter the system can tolerate before beam quality at injection in the PS Booster - and later in the SPL- is compromised. In this paper we summarise the guidelines used to define the tolerances, the capability of the correction system and the final tolerances for all the elements of LINAC4.