Extra Low Energy Antiproton ring ELENA : from the conception to the implementation phase

The Extra Low Energy Antiproton ring (ELENA) is a CERN project aiming at constructing a small 30 m circumference synchrotron to further decelerate antiprotons from the Antiproton Decelerator AD from 5.3 MeV to 100 keV. Controlled deceleration in a synchrotron equipped with an electron cooler to reduce emittances in all three planes will allow the existing AD experiments to increase substantially their antiproton capture efficiencies and render new experiments possible. The ELENA design is now well advanced and the project is moving to the implementation phase. Component design and construction are taking place at present for installation foreseen during the second half of 2015 and beginning of 2016 followed by ring commissioning until the end of 2016. New electrostatic transfer lines to the experiments will be installed and commissioned during the first half of 2017 followed by the first physics operation with ELENA. Basic limitations like Intra Beam Scattering limiting the emittances obtained under electron cooling and direct space charge effects are reviewed and the status of the project is reported.