Improving the SPS beam extraction efficiency by implementation of a crystal septum

The third-integer resonant extraction of the proton beam from the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) at CERN is a technique used for slow extraction of the circulating beam, providing a constant spill of protons to the North Area experiments. Currently, this method employs an electrostatic septum (ZS) to separate the extracted particles from the proton beam circulating in the ring. However, a fraction of the protons is lost on the mechanical parts of the ZS causing its activation, thus, limiting the efficiency of the process. In this work, the first considerations for solving this problem are presented with the implementation of a non-resonant slow extraction scheme that enables the extraction of the particles without the use of the ZS. The extraction efficiency and beam quality are benchmarked using the Xsuite particle tracking framework for a new configuration, which is compared with the present setup.