Input
H- packet from Linac 4
Stage 2 of 5
The PS Booster receives H- ions from Linac 4, strips electrons during injection, and raises the energy to about 2 GeV in a compact ring train design. In this simplified model, stacked rings are shown as synchronized energy bands.
Input
H- packet from Linac 4
Process
Injection, electron stripping, synchrotron acceleration
Output
Proton beam ~2 GeV
Energy
~2 GeV
Interactive simulator
Stripping, RF capture, and tune controls are simplified into a single handoff stage.
At this energy the proton travels about 284,097 km/s — 94.76% of the speed of light (c = 299,792 km/s). Each stage of the injector chain pushes it measurably closer to c.
Compact chain before main ring stack-up
Synchrotron, RF cavity, and Bunch.
What happens, in order
Key terms: Synchrotron, RF cavity, and Bunch.
Quick facts
Technology
Synchrotron booster
electron stripping on entry
Main role
Intensity buildup and transfer to PS
Particle transformation
H- to proton
Typical energy
~2 GeV
Sources
CERN Proton Synchrotron Booster
https://home.cern/science/accelerators/proton-synchrotron-booster/Official machine page used for the booster stage and injector-chain context.
CERN Linac4
https://home.cern/science/accelerators/linear-accelerator-4/Official machine page used for the first proton injector stage in the accelerator journey.
CERN Accelerator Complex overview
https://home.cern/science/accelerators/Official public summary used for accelerator principles, beamline framing, and the CERN accelerator network.
Guided tour
Four steps: follow the beam, see the aftermath, compare with spacetime signals, then test your intuition.
Start with the injector chain so the rest of the site follows a physical sequence.
OpenSee which detectors catch which particles after a collision.
OpenSwitch to gravitational waves: tune mass, distance, and noise to find the signal.
OpenShort quizzes on accelerator ordering, detector choice, and signal tuning.
Open