Quartz wires versus carbon fibres for improved beam handling capacity of the LEP wire scanners

After the first investigations performed in 1994, the study of thermal effects on Carbon and Quartz wires has been pursued in 1995. Carbon wires of 8 µm have been studied. Light emission resulting from the two heating mechanisms, electromagnetic fields and collision losses with the beam, were observed. Quartz wires of 10 and 30 µm were investigated and light emission due to the heating by collision with the beam was observed. The heat pattern differs completely from that of Carbon fibres. The Quartz wires withstood at 20 GeV circulating currents of at least 8 mA, the 1995 operational level in LEP. Quantitative evaluations and the influence of various dissipation processes are presented with the aim of evaluating a beam current limit.