Preparations for Upgrading the RF Systems of the PS Booster

The accelerators of the LHC injector chain need to be upgraded to provide the HL-LHC beams. The PS Booster, the first synchrotron in the LHC injection chain, uses three different RF systems (first, second and up to tenth harmonic) in each of its four rings. As part of the LHC Injector Upgrade the current ferrite RF systems will be replaced with broadband Finemet cavities, increasing the flexibility of the RF system. A Finemet test cavity has been installed in Ring 4 to investigate its effect on machine performance, especially beam stability, during extensive experimental studies. Due to large space charge impedance Landau damping is lost through most of the cycle in single harmonic operation, but is recovered when using the second harmonic and controlled longitudinal emittance blow-up. This paper compares beam parameters during acceleration with and without the Finemet test cavity. Comparisons were made using beam measurements and simulations with the BLonD code based on a full PS Booster impedance model. This work, together with simulations of future operation, have provided input for the decision to adopt a fully Finemet RF system.