Category: News EN

In June 2024, after concluding an extensive experimental campaign, PIAVE-ALPI superconductive accelerator reached outstanding performance levels. Main points for this achievement were the integration of advanced AI (Artificial Intelligence) with ML (Machine Learning) techniques, Bayesian optimization algorithms and particle swarm optimization algorithms. These complex algorithms played an essential role in parameters optimization of accelerator configuration such as cavities phases, longitudinal and transverse optics, resulting in remarkable accelerator performance improvements and in the halving of accelerator setting time.

ALPI overall transmission reached values of 85% (in figure: First high current Xe beam was accelerated into ALPI with 85% global transmission), very near to 93% theoretical maximum transmission and significantly higher than 35% reached in the previous decades.

Essential for this record were improvements implemented on ECR ion source, on RF system, on alignment system, on cryostats, on control system and on beam diagnostics, but above all the huge teamwork carried out by three LNL divisions.

After a period of maintenance and repair of various components of the cyclotron, including the refurbishment of the ion source and the RF amplifiers, the first proton beams were produced and delivered to experimental study of medical radioisotope production. After the optimization of the new transport line recently installed at the Legnaro National Laboratories, the cyclotron was optimized for three different proton energies: 35 MeV, 50 MeV and 70 MeV. After each optimization the proton beam was used to irradiate thin targets of different materials. In particular, the image shows the gamma spectrum of a natural Zn target irradiated at an energy of 50 MeV, which allowed the observation of the gamma-decay of the theranostic radionuclide Cu-67 (see picture: First irradiation for the production of Cu-67 within the SPES project).

With the achievement of this important milestone, the Phase 1 of the SPES project is successfully completed. This has been made possible in a relatively short time thanks to the phased approach for the project implementation and the full commitment of all the laboratory’s divisions.

On Monday June 17th, the Director of the Legnaro National Laboratories, Prof. Faïçal Azaiez, visited the site of the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund.

Andrea Pisent, technical coordinator of INFN contribution to ESS, Francesco Grespan, who led the construction and installation of the Drift Tube Linac at ESS, and Carlo Baltador, researcher at INFN-LNL, were also present.

The visit of the LNL Director has taken place one year after the conclusion of the high power test of the Drift Tube Linac up to 74 MeV and it immediately precedes the restart of the accelerator, which starting from next July will complete the commissioning of the fifth DTL cavity and of the Superconducting Linac.

Håkan Danared, head of ESS accelerator division, guided the director in the visit of the accelerator, while Kevin Jones, Technical Director of ESS, guided the tour to Target and Detectors.

INFN contributes to the construction of the ESS linac with the injector, developed by the Southern National Laboratories, the intermediate energy superconducting elliptical cavities, made by the INFN Milano Unit and the five tanks of the Drift Tube Linac, designed and developed by the researchers of the INFN Legnaro National Laboratories and Turin Unit.

The ESS DTL will be the most powerful Drift Tube Linac in the world and constitutes the largest part of the ESS accelerator tested so far and brought to nominal performance. The results achieved in the ESS project demonstrate once more the ability of LNL and INFN to develop very high technology structures with full control of times and costs, the effectiveness of the teamwork between INFN structures and industrial partners in a large international collaboration.