Installation of "LET booster" for HEARTS@CERN heavy ion project

The LET booster below is used in the HEARTS@CERN heavy ion project. HEARTS@CERN aims at developing a high-energy, heavy ion beam line for radiation effects testing at CERN. This type of beam is particularly appealing for the European space sector, https://hearts-project.eu/. Heavy ion beams are representative of inducing radiation effects caused by a particular type of radiation found in space, called Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR). Before launching an electronic component on a spacecraft, it is very useful to test its response under irradiation in an Earth based laboratory. The radiation effect caused by the GCRs depends on the amount of energy transferred from the radiation to the component, quantified by the Linear Energy Transfer (LET). The « LET booster » installed in the CHARM facility at CERN can modify the energy of the beam impacting a test sample by placing one or more plastic plates in the beam. As a result, the radiation effect might be different, giving us insight in how qualified that test component is for spaceflight. The HEARTS project aims to provide accelerated heavy ion beams in a laboratory setting, such that radiation effects in electronics, biological samples and shielding materials can be studied on Earth before embarking on a space mission.