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| This bird’s eye view of the Vertical Cavity Test Area captures all three of Fermilab’s vertical test stands, called VTS-1 (closest), VTS-2 and VTS-3 (farthest). The large orange concrete and steel radiation shield moves to cover the stand under test. To the left, vacuum and cryogenic transfer lines are used to prepare the test conditions. Farther left are the radio-frequency power, instrumentation and control. Cavities are prepared for testing in the white staging area. Photo: Ruben Carcagno, TD |
Late last month, two new world-class state-of-the-art test stands became operational in the Technical Division Test and Instrumentation Department.
These vertical test stands, or VTSs, allow scientists, engineers and technicians from the Technical Division SRF Development Department to make measurements of isolated superconducting radio-frequency cavities under carefully controlled conditions. They are also essential for production testing of SLAC’s LCLS-II and Fermilab’s PIP-II devices.
This project, which was the result of many years of hard work by contributors from around the lab and the globe, expanded the Vertical Cavity Test Facility from the original VTS-1 stand (completed in 2007) to include the two larger new stands, VTS-2 and VTS-3.
Further information about the project will be the topic of an upcoming Technical Division column.