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Fermilab Test Beam Facility
Mission
The goal of the Fermilab Test Beam Program is to provide flexible, equal, and open access to test beams for all detector tests, with relatively low bureaucratic overhead and a guarantee of safety, coordination, and oversight.
Overview
The Fermilab Test Beam Facility (FTBF) is a Particle Physics Division operated, high energy beam facility devoted to Detector R & D. The Facility is located on the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory site in Illinois, USA, on the west side of the Meson Detector Building.
The goal of the Fermilab Test Beam Program is to provide flexible, equal and open access to test beams for all detector tests, with relatively low bureaucratic overhead and a guarantee of safety, coordination and oversight.
The facility uses two versatile beamlines (MTest and MCenter) to provide beam in a multitude of particle types and a range of energies, in which users can test equipment or detectors.. See Beam Details.
MTest
The MT6 areas are the most commonly used. They have all of the features in Facility Details, and all of the Instrumentation available to them. The primary beam consists of high energy protons (120 GeV) at moderate intensities (~1-300 kHz). This beam can also be targeted to create secondary particle beams of energies down to about 1 GeV, consisting of pions, muons, and/or electrons. Experiments in these areas typically turn over on a weekly (1-4 weeks) basis.
MCenter
The MC7 areas are purposed more towards long-term experiments with a turn over rate of months or even years. This beamline has the same secondary particle beams as MTest, but has the added capability of a tertiary beam line, which can produce pions and/ or protons down to energies of 200 MeV. Most of the same features and Instrumentation are available, but there are some logistical exceptions.
High Rate Tracking
A new area for beam tests of high rate tracking devices is being developed in the MTest beam line, upstream of the pinhole collimator in M03. This area will be suitable for tests of detectors with modest transverse dimensions. In this area 120 GeV protons are available with a maximum rate of 2.5 GHz/cm2. Due to the restrictive access requirments to this area, experiments in this area are expected to turn over on the order of several months. More Information
To request beam in any of these areas click on the "Become A User" link or contact the FTBF Coordinator to learn more.
Visiting
Tours of the facility are available to humans of all ages. Students and teachers are particularly encouraged. Please contact the FTBF Coordinator if you are interested in such an opportunity.
For more information on visiting Fermilab, including visiting hours, follow this weblink: www.fnal.gov/pub/visiting/hours/index.html
OutReach
The Fermilab Test Beam Facility encourages the development of young interest in High Energy Physics and Detector Research, and is happy to provide oppotunities for students to explore physics with a hands on experience. We welcome professors to bring their graduate and undergraduate students to Fermilab to perform real beam tests with real equipment and detectors. (Even HS students are welcome under certain conditions.)
FTBF has a list of equipment calibration tests and beam parameter tests needed, or you can come up with your own. We will provide necessary equipment, training, and, of course, the beam.
Please contact the FTBF Coordinator if you are interested in such an opportunity.
News
MOU's are now called TSW's
Schedule:
- Beam Requests are now being proccessed for beam after August 2013
- Priority given to users with Approved TSW
Fermilab Today
- Insulation installation at test beam facility - Dec 13
- One minute with Todd Nebel - Oct 22
- More Fermi Today Articles
In FY 2012 FTBF was used 97% of the available time, and served 11 experiments with
229 collaborators from 64 institutions
in 14 countires.
Useful Files
- FTBF Brochure
- FTBF Presentation slides
- FTBF Poster