The Proton Beam Physics and Instrumentation Group at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) works with the High Intensity Proton Accelerator (HIPA) and Proton Radiotherapy (Proscan) facilities.
The beam physics sub-team is responsible for beam dynamics in the three cyclotrons and in beam transfer lines up to extraction from the HIPA Main Ring Cyclotron. The beam instrumentation sub-team maintains hundreds of devices used to measure beam current, phase, transverse and longitudinal beam profiles, and beam losses.
Selected Research Focus Areas
- Effects of space charge in the HIPA injection beamline
- The vortex effect and optimization of beam losses in HIPA
- Optimization of beam transfer to cancer patients in the Proscan proton therapy facility
- Upgrade of the beam structure measurement system electronics and overall performance
- Upgrade of electronics for measuring electric currents from various sensors
- Tests and deployment of fast wire scanners
- Use of Machine Learning and fronier LLMs to support large accelerator facility
The Team
- Christian Baumgarten — Beam physics and philosophy of science
- Mariusz Sapinski — Transverse beam profile and beam loss measurements
- Jilei Sun — RF beam instrumentation: beam current and beam phase measurement
- Stuart Warren — ISOL facility design
- Hui Zhang — Beam physics and radioisotope production beamline support
- PhD Student — Ultra-fast beam instrumentation Position Open