The First Testing of the Upgraded Accelerator has Begun

The accelerator upgrade is almost finished, and today the first tests with an ion beam at high accelerating voltage are under way. The high voltage is now being very successfully stabilized via the GVM (Generating Volt Meter) and a feedback loop. On the high-energy side of the accelerator, the beam profile can be observed using a dedicated device (Profile Monitor). At the same time, the operation of the electrostatic lenses (which shape the beam), the electrostatic steerer (which controls steering in the vertical plane), and the switching magnet (which directs the beam horizontally into the selected beamline) is also being verified on the high-energy beam. The testing is conducted in cooperation with a representative of the manufacturer and under the careful supervision of the official Slovenian authorities for protection against ionizing radiation. In a positive scenario, we can expect the first beam for regular users before the end of January.