APTM and GRID signal processing and Errant beam detection at ESS

Abstract: The European Spallation Source (ESS) will be the world's most powerful next-generation neutron source. It will deliver a high-energy proton beam to the target with a high degree of control. With many components operating at their engineering limits, instrumentation must detect errant beam conditions and suppress proton beam production. One of the beam diagnostic instruments installed will be Aperture Monitor (APTM). This system consists of thermocouples and metallic blades fitted along the edges along a rectangular footprint. The Aperture Monitor determines the total beam current outside of the desired footprint. Apart from the Aperture Monitor, another beam diagnostic instrument is a multi-wire profiling monitor called Grid. This system consists of horizontal and vertical wires, and it will measure the amount of current generated by the bombardment of high energy protons. The high energy proton, while interacting with the silicon carbide wires in the profiling monitor, generates electrical current. This system measures the current value at the rate of 1 mega sample/second. The goal of this thesis aims to design a signal processing system with the aid of FPGA that will characterize the beam properties and detect any beam condition outside its defined operation range by analyzing the current signal in the shortest time possible.