Electron cloud buildup and related instability in the CERN Proton Synchrotron

The beam-induced electron cloud buildup is one of the major concerns for the SPS and the design of the future LHC. During the 2000 run, this effect has also been observed in the PS with the nominal LHC- type beam. The electron cloud induces a baseline distortion in electrostatic pickup signals, both during the last turns in the PS, when the full bunch length is reduced to less than 4 ns, and in the transfer line between the PS and the SPS rings. In the year 2001, modifications in the rf hardware allowed us to study the properties of the beam instability related with the electron cloud phenomenon for a total bunch length of about 10 ns. The complete set of experimental observations carried out in the PS machine is presented and discussed in detail. (20 refs).