The HRMT27 (Rodtarg) Experiment: Design, Operation and First Results

The HRMT27-Rodtarg- experiment used the HiRadMat facility at CERN to impact intense 440 GeV proton beams onto thin rods - 8 mm diameter, 140 length - made of high-density materials such as Ir, W, Ta, Mo among others. The purpose of the experiment was to reduce uncertainties on the CERN antiproton target material response and assess the material selection for its future redesign. The experiment was designed to recreate the extreme conditions reached in the target, estimated as an increase of temperature above 2000 ºC in less than 0.5 µs and a subsequent compressive-to-tensile pressure wave of several GPa. This document includes a detailed summary of the experimental setup and online recorded data. Results suggest that all the irradiated materials except tantalum suffered internal damage from conditions 5-7 lower than those reached in the AD-Target, while tantalum targets clearly showed the best dynamic response, remaining un-cracked during the experiment. Foreseen post irradiation examinations will complete this study.