Design Optimisation of a High Intensity Beam Facility and Feasibility Experiment of a Solid Fragmented Target

The present PhD thesis describes the design, execution and results of the HRMT-10 experiment performed at the HiRadMat facility of the CERN/SPS complex. The first part of the thesis covers the design optimization studies of the HiRadMat facility, focusing in particular on the radiation protection issues. A detailed Monte-Carlo model of the facility has been developed and validated through comparison with measurements. A very satisfactory agreement between the simulation and the experimental data is observed. In the second part of this thesis, a novel feasibility experiment of a fragmented solid target for a future Neutrino Factory or a Super Beam facility, able to support high beam powers ( 1 MW) is presented in detail. A solid granular target has been proposed as an interesting alternative to an open Hg jet target, presently considered as the baseline for such facilities, but posing considerable technical challenges. The HRMT-10 experiment seeks to address the lack of experimental data of the feasibility of a tungsten powder as such a target. The instrumentation of the experiment was based on remote high-speed photography as well as on Laser-Doppler vibration measurements of the target containers (through a mirror setup and behind a specially designed shielding). The behavior of the powder as a function of the beam parameters is analyzed, and the different disruptive effects observed due to the beam impact are described. For the first time, the proton induced velocities of powder filaments were measured. Values of up to 1.5 m/s for a proton bunch intensity of 2.94 10^{11} at 440 GeV were observed. A theoretical model of the behavior of the target after the impact of the beam has been developed, and is found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. The extrapolation from the measured disruption speeds to the nominal beam parameters of a Neutrino Factory show a projected maximum speed of 30 m/s for the powder grains. This speed appears to pose no practical problems for any foreseeable type of container, and therefore tungsten powder can be considered as a valid option for a future high-power beam facility able to support 1 MW of beam power.