Simulation of the electron-cloud build up and its consequences on heat load, beam stability and diagnostics

Photoemission and secondary emission are known to give rise to a quasi-stationary electron cloud inside the LHC beam pipe through a beam-induced multipacting process. We investigate the phenomena of electron-cloud build up and related effects via computer simulation. In our model, macroparticles representing photoelectrons are emitted synchronously with the passing proton bunch, and are subsequently accelerated in the field of the beam. As they hit the beam pipe, new macroelectrons are generated, whose charges are determined by the energy of the incoming particles and by the secondary emission yield of the beam pipe. A quasi-stationary state of the electron cloud is eventually reached due to space charge. The equilibrium distribution of the electron cloud is used as an input parameter for a program that analyses the electron-cloud driven single-bunch instability. The electron cloud simulation also allows the evaluation of the heat load on the cold beam screen, which must stay within the available cooling capacity, and the electron charge deposited on or emitted from the electrodes of the beam-position monitors.