Reducing the SPS Machine Impedance

The SPS as LHC Injector project has been working for some time to prepare the SPS for its role as final injector for the LHC. This included major work related to injection, acceleration, extraction and beam instrumentation for the LHC beams [1]. Measurements carried out with the high brightness LHC beam showed that a major improvement of the machine impedance would also be necessary [2]. In addition to removing all lepton related components (once LEP operation ended in 2000), the decision was made to shield the vacuum system pumping port cavities. These accidental cavities had been identified as having characteristic frequencies in the 1-1.5GHz range. Since the SPS vacuum system contains roughly 1000 of these cavities, they constitute a major fraction of the machine impedance. As removal of the ports and associated bellows is not possible, transition shields (PPS) had to be designed to insert within the pumping port cavities.