Finding beam loss locations in a linac with oscillating dipole correctors

The paper proposes a method of finding the beam loss locations in a linac. If the beam is scraped at an aperture limitation, moving its centroid with two dipole correctors located upstream and oscillating in sync produces a line at the corresponding frequency in spectra of current-sensitive devices downstream of the loss point. The phase of this signal contains information about the location of the beam loss. Similar lines appear also in the position signals of Beam Position Monitors (BPMs). The phases of the BPM position lines change monotonically (within each 2π) along the linac and can be used a reference system. The phase of the loss signal compared with this reference system pinpoints the beam loss location, assuming that longitudinal coordinates of the BPMs are known. If the correctors deflection amplitudes and the phase offset between their waveforms are chosen optimally and well calibrated, the same measurement provides values of the β-function and the betatron phase advance at the BPM locations. Optics measurements of this type can be made parasitically, with negligible effect on the emittance, if a long measurement time is acceptable.