Beam Tests and Plans for the CERN PS Booster Wideband RF System Prototype

In the framework of the LHC Injectors Upgrade project (LIU) and in view of a complete replacement of the existing CERN PS Booster (PSB) RF systems, a prototype cavity has been installed beginning of 2012 in the machine. This modular, wideband (0.5 ÷ 4 MHz), Finemet® loaded system uses solid-state power stages and includes fast RF feedback for beam loading compensation. In depth studies have been performed during 2012 to evaluate the system interaction with the new low-level digital electronics, its ability to accelerate the beam and cope with high beam intensity. The encouraging results suggest that this innovative approach can indeed be used to replace all the existing PSB RF systems but additional testing with a full scale prototype is required. This paper reports about the project status, the achieved results, the encountered difficulties and the foreseen prototype completion in preparation during 2013.