Today (April 20, 2024) the upgraded Advanced Photon Source (APS) took another important step forward, as the Accelerator Systems Division (ASD) team reported the first stored beam in the new storage ring. 

After last week’s announcement of first electron turns in the storage ring, today’s accomplishment shows a 0.15 mA beam current stored in the new ring. This feat demonstrates that the main storage ring systems – including 1,321 magnets, 2,247  power supplies, 560 beam position monitors, 1,104 meters of vacuum chamber, and 12 accelerating radiofrequency cavities – all function as designed.

Commissioning of the new storage ring will continue for several more weeks. Now that the storage ring is circulating stored beams, the ASD team will fully test the swap-out injection technique, using kicker magnets to replace one bunch at a time instead of topping it up with electrons. This will be the first use of swap-out replenishment in a storage ring light source. 

“We’re getting closer to bringing the APS back into operation,” said Vadim Sajaev, interim director of ASD and head of the commissioning effort. “The new storage ring is performing well so far, and we’re looking forward to sending our first photons to the beamlines.”