e2v thyratrons to drive kicker magnets at FAIR accelerator

e2v has won a contract to supply 30 thyratrons to power high voltage kicker magnets for the new international accelerator facility FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) currently under construction at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, Germany. GSI is financed by the Federal Republic of Germany and the federal states Hesse, Thuringia and Rhineland-Palatinate.

The model CX2593X thyratrons, are hollow anode, deuterium-filled four-gap devices, which act as super-fast, high power switches that drive the kicker magnets in the FAIR accelerator. Kicker magnets are used to steer the particle beams safely around the facility and into the experimental stations. e2v has almost 70 years of continuous research, development and production experience in the design and manufacture of high quality thyratrons. With extensive testing facilities and test programmes, e2v guarantees the strictest control over its thyratron design, materials and manufacturing processes in the UK.

FAIR, a large-scale accelerator facility for heavy ions, will be fully operational by 2025 and will be one of the world’s largest scientific research projects. It will carry out an unprecedented variety of experiments, gaining insight into the structure of matter and the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to the present.

Chris Thwaites, Vice President of RF Power Product Management at e2v, said, “Over the past 18 months, we have worked closely with the technical team at GSI, a world leading science institution, to develop a kicker magnet switching program to drive its next generation of heavy ion experiments. Our expertise has helped to develop this unique system which utilises our established thyratron technology, and continues our commitment to providing high quality, customer specific solutions into the High Energy Physics market.”

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To find out more about e2v High Energy Physics please email:

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