Beam Interaction with Thin Materials: Heat Deposition, Cooling Phenomena and Damage Limits

Thin targets, inserted into particle beams can serve various purposes, starting from beam emittance measurements like in wire scanner or scintillating screens up to beam content modifications like in case of stripper foils. The mechanisms of energy deposition in a thin target for various beam types are discussed, together with properties of particles produced in this kind of interaction. The cooldown processes, from heat transfer up to cooling by sublimation, and their efficiencies are presented. Finally, damage conditions are discussed and conclusions about typical damage limits are drawn. The experiments performed with the wire scanners at CERN accelerators and a mathematical model of heating and cooling of a wire are presented.