Status of the Superconducting Proton Linac (SPL) Cryo-Module

The Superconducting Proton Linac (SPL) is an R&D effort conducted by CERN in partnership with other international laboratories, aimed at developing key technologies for the construction of a multi-megawatt proton linac based on state-of-the-art SRF technology. Such an accelerator could serve as a driver in new physics facilities for neutrinos and/or radioactive ion beams [1]. Amongst the main objectives of this effort, are the development of 704 MHz bulk niobium beta=1 elliptical cavities (operating at 2 K and providing an accelerating gradient of 25 MV/m) and the test of a string of cavities integrated in a machine-type cryo-module. In an initial phase, only four out of the eight cavities of the SPL cryo-module will be tested in a half-length cryo-module developed for this purpose, which nonetheless preserves the main features of the full size module. This paper presents the final design of the cryo-module and the status of the construction of the main cryostat parts. Preliminary plans for the assembly and testing of the cryo-module at CERN are also presented.