Innovation for sustainable accelerator systems (the European iSAS Project)

Particle accelerators are essential instruments for research infrastructures and for a variety of applications, accounting for 40,000 machines worldwide. In a context of sustainability, minimizing the energy consumption of accelerators is an unavoidable challenge. Funded by the EU (HORIZON-INFRA-2023-TECH-01-01 under GA No. 101131435), the iSAS project (Innovate for Sustainable Accelerating Systems) was launched in 2024. It aims to innovate on core technologies of SRF accelerating systems to minimize energy consumption. It will enhance collaborations in the field to broaden and expedite these technologies. It is complementary to other programs developing energy-efficient magnets or RF sources and reusing the waste heat produced. The iSAS project concentrates on SRF accelerating systems with the largest leverage for energy savings. The developed technologies aim to optimize: ferro-electric fast reactive tuners, low lever radio frequency control system, coatings of Nb3Sn on Cu cavities, couplers (fundamental, higher order modes) and beam line absorbers. iSAS aims to perform R&D on these technologies and to promote their implementation towards industry, by raising their TRL levels.