Towards a robust phase locked loop tune feedback system

Attempts to introduce a reliable tune feedback loop at RHIC (BNL) [1] have been thwarted by two main problems, namely transition crossing and betatron coupling. The problem of transition crossing is a dynamic range problem, resulting from the increase in the revolution content of the observed signal as the bunch length becomes short and from the fast orbit changes that occur during transition. The dynamic range issue is being addressed by the development of a baseband tune measurement system [2] as part of the US LHC Accelerator Research Program (US-LARP). This paper will focus on the second problem, showing how a phase locked loop (PLL) tune measurement system can be used to continuously measure global betatron coupling, and in so doing allow for robust tune measurement and feedback in the presence of coupling.