Approaching the High-Intensity Frontier Using the Multi-Turn Extraction at the CERN Proton Synchrotron

Complementary to the physics research at the LHC, several fixed target facilities receive beams from the LHC injector complex. In the scope of the fixed target physics program at the Super Proton Synchrotron, high-intensity proton beams from the Proton Synchrotron are extracted using the Multi-Turn Extraction scheme, which is based on particle trapping in stable islands of the horizontal phase space. Considering the number of protons requested by future experimental fixed target facilities, such as the Search for Hidden Particles experiment, the currently operationally delivered beam intensities are insufficient. Therefore, experimental studies have been conducted to optimize the Multi-Turn Extraction technique and to exploit the possible intensity reach. The results of these studies along with the operational performance of high-intensity beams during the 2017 run are presented in this paper. Furthermore, the impact of the hardware changes pursued in the framework of the LHC Injectors Upgrade project on the high-intensity beam properties is briefly mentioned.