Targetry challenges & HiRadMat

HiRadMat is a unique user facility providing a controlled test environment for accelerator experiments investigating the effects of high energy, high intensity proton beam. HiRadMat uses a 440 GeV/c proton beam fastly-extracted from the CERN SPS and can currently provide a maximum pulse intensity of 3.5 × 10¹³ protons. Initially designed to explore the damage thresholds of accelerator components which experienced thermal shocks induced by high-brightness beams, HiRadMat has continued to advance into new areas of research. This contribution will focus on the significant role that HiRadMat plays in Targetry R&D where previous experiments will be discussed and future ideas presented. Due to the extensive CERN support available experiments at HiRadMat have evolved from new target concepts (like powder target and prototype material sample experiments) to validation studies for full-scale prototypes, including absorber jaws for LHC and HL-LHC, collimator's and spallation targets, and more recently cryogenic and pre-irradiated sample experiments. Similarly, diagnostics (e.g. strain gauges, LDVs, temperature sensors) as well as visual inspection and beam monitoring devices (e.g. radiation hard cameras, lighting systems, microphones) have continued to develop providing users with in-situ beam-time statistics and beam profile information resulting in more accurate measurements of the prompt-beam effects. The future upgrade of HiRadMat will be discussed with details on multiple stages of development from improved functionality of the laboratory to optimisation of the experimental area regarding beam potential. (author)