Acceleratorphysics
Particle accelerators are universal instruments that enable unique experiments in many areas of basic research. However, particle accelerators now also play an important role in applied research, such as materials science, industry and medicine. At KIT, concepts for novel particle accelerators are developed and a variety of accelerator test facilities are operated. The IPE develops instruments for precise characterization of charged particles in particle accelerators. Our instruments are key to understanding the complex processes in these facilities.
Instruments for electron beam diagnosis
The comprehensive characterization of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) is a research focus of the Helmholtz program "Matter and Technologies" at KIT. To detect and analyse CSR emission, THz detector systems are required that convert the synchrotron radiation into an electric pulse. For the measurement of these extremely fast pulses, a time resolution in the picosecond range is required. The continuous inspection of electron bunches has proven to be an indispensable tool for the diagnostics and further development of synchrotron storage rings.
About the technology: Instruments for electron beam diagnostics
Alps: Advanced Linux PCI Services
Building data acquisition systems for measuring instruments with high data rates is challenging. These devices often use the PCIe bus, that has a very high performance and is easy to integrate into the electronics. Due to the limited bandwidth of the PC system memory, an efficient implementation of the DMA protocol is necessary for a continuous data flow. The appropriate Linux kernel driver interface is volatile and kernel drivers are difficult to develop and maintain. In addition, there is the requirement to synchronize the development of the instrument hardware and the necessary readout and analysis software. Alps is a flexible Linux driver platform for PCIe-based electronics with RDMA support, which is optimized for fast software design due to its modularity.
About the technology: Alps: Advanced Linux PCI Services