Upgrade of the SPS extraction Kickers for LHC and CNGS Operation

The extraction kickers of the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) need to be upgraded to meet the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and CERN Neutrino to Grand Sasso (CNGS) requirements. Commissioning of the extraction towards one of the LHC rings and the CNGS facility under construction is foreseen for 2003. The ferrites of the kicker magnets will be heated significantly by the circulating beam and need to be cooled to stay below the Curie temperature. A cost-effective solution to this problem is presented consisting of AlN water cooled plates on the top and bottom of the ferrites. Model predictions are compared with preliminary laboratory measurements and machine data from the SPS. Commissioning of the extraction towards the other LHC ring is planned for 2006. Beyond the heat load issues, this latter extraction needs a larger horizontal "kick" and thus a higher magnetic field and larger horizontal beam aperture. The rise and fall time requirements of these kickers are less strict, therefore a new system with lower impedance permitting a larger magnetic field can be used.