Online Bunch by Bunch Transverse Instability Detection in LHC

Reliable detection of developing transverse instabilities in the Large Hadron Collider is one of the main operational challenges of the LHC's high intensity proton run. A full machine snapshot provided from the moment of instability is a crucial input to develop and fine tune instability models. The transverse feedback system (ADT) is the only instrument in LHC, where a full rate bunch by bunch transverse position information is available. Together with a sub-micron resolution it makes it a perfect place to detect transverse beam motion. Very large amounts of data, at very high data rates (8 Gb/s) need to be processed on the fly to detect onset of transverse instability. A very powerful computer system (so called ADTObsBox) was developed and put into operation by the CERN RF group, which is capable of processing the full rate data streams from ADT and perform an on the fly instability detection. The output of this system is a timing event with a list of all bunches developing instability, which is then sent to the LHC-wide instability trigger network to freeze other observation instruments. The device also provides buffers with raw position data for offline analysis.