LABORATORI NAZIONALI DI LEGNARO
RF superconductivity has become an important technology for accelerators at the energy and luminosity frontiers as well as at the cutting edge of nuclear physics and basic materials science. Nearly one kilometer of superconducting cavities have been installed in electron accelerators to provide more than 5 gigavolts of acceleration. Superconducting cavities support beam currents above one ampere. Heavy ion accelerators around the world use low velocity structures to total nearly 500 MV. Since the large installations of the 1990’s, there have been steady advances in SRF science and technology under international and bilateral collaborations. These collaborations are responsible for spectacular increases in performance levels. Under the international TESLA (TeV Energy Superconducting Linear Accelerator) collaboration, the gradient of niobium cavities has more than tripled over the last decade. The TTF (TESLA Test Facility) collaboration has set up all the necessary infrastructure for the preparation of superconducting structrues and operated a superconducting test accelerator for several years. In the JRA SRFCAV collaboration, R&D activity is engaged in developing of novel fabrication and preparation techniques. This effort will result in prototype components to be tested under realistic operating conditions in the TTF linac to improve TTF performance. Several bi-lateral collaborations have advanced SRF technology for low beta applications as well as high current applications. The success of such collaborations has initiated new accelerators. The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory switched to superconducting technology in 2000. High intensity proton linacs are finding new applications around the world. The x-ray Free Electron Laser at DESY will be a 20 GeV superconducting linear accelerator to provide angstrom-wavelength beams of unprecedented brilliance. Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) studies are flowering for a variety of applications: ultra-fast, high brilliance light sources as well as electron beams for cooling or colliding with ions. Designs for the nuclear Rare Isotope Accelerators (RIA in the US and EURISOL in Europe), demand high performance low beta cavities. Recently an International Technology Recommendation Panel selected the superconducting option for the International Linear Collider (ILC). The 500 GeV collider will require 20,000 superconducting cavities, each about one meter long, operating at 2K. From its inception, the International Linear Collider would be designed, funded, managed and operated as an international scientific project. With many years of operating experience at major accelerators demonstrating a robust technology, SRF is ready to launch major initiatives, especially with the leverage of international collaborations.

DATA: 18-10-2005