Physicists at the CERN particle accelerator have successfully captured the elusive four-dimensional “ghost” that has been affecting particle trajectories. The researchers at the CERN superproton synchrotron were able to identify and describe the invisible structure that has been causing problems in their research. This structure exists in a phase space that can represent multiple states of a moving system, requiring four dimensions to describe it accurately.
The formation of this structure is due to a phenomenon called resonance, which has been a challenge for magnetic particle accelerators. Dr. Juliano Franketti from GSI in Germany explains that particles deviate from their intended path and are lost due to these resonances, leading to a decrease in beam quality and hindering the achievement of desired parameters.
Resonance occurs when two systems interact and synchronize, commonly arising from imperfections in the powerful magnets used to direct and accelerate particles in particle accelerators. To understand and describe these structures, additional parameters in the phase space are required, necessitating the measurement of particles in both horizontal and vertical planes.
After years of research and extensive computer simulations, Dr. Franketti and his team at CERN were able to measure the magnetic anomaly caused by resonance for the first time using monitors in the superproton synchrotron. This breakthrough reveals the behavior of individual particles in a bound resonance, marking a significant advancement in the field.
The findings of the study, published in Nature Physics, not only confirm theoretical predictions but also pave the way for improving beam quality in particle acceleration experiments. This discovery opens up new possibilities for reducing beam degradation and achieving high-quality beams required for future research in particle acceleration.