High-Efficiency Volume Reflection of an Ultrarelativistic Proton Beam with a Bent Silicon Crystal

Scandale, W.; Still, D. A.; Carnera, A.; DELLA MEA, G.; DE SALVADOR, D.; Milan, R.; Vomiero, A.; Baricordi, S.; Dalpiaz, P.; Fiorini, M.; Guidi, V.; Martinelli, G.; Mazzolari, A.; Milan, E.; Ambrosi, Giovanni; Azzarello, P.; Battiston, Roberto; Bertucci, Bruna; Burger, WILLIAM J.; Ionica, Maria; Zuccon, Paolo; Cavoto, G.; Santacesaria, R.; Valente, P.; Vallazza, E.; Afonin, A. G.; Baranov, V. T.; Chesnokov, Y. U. A.; Kotov, V. I.; Maisheev, V. A.; Yaznin, I. A.; Afanasev, S. V.; Kovalenko, A. D.; Taratin, A. M.; Denisov, A. S.; Gavrikov, Y. U. A.; Ivanov, Y. U. M.; Ivochkin, V. G.; Kosyanenko, S. V.; Petrunin, A. A.; Skorobogatov, V. V.; Suvorov, V. M.; Bolognini, D.; Foggetta, L.; Hasan, S.; Prest, M.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.154801

The volume reflection phenomenon was detected while investigating 400 GeV proton interactions with bent silicon crystals in the external beam H8 of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron. Such a process was observed for a wide interval of crystal orientations relative to the beam axis, and its efficiency exceeds 95%, thereby surpassing any previously observed value. These observations suggest new perspectives for the manipulation of high-energy beams, e.g., for collimation and extraction in new-generation hadron colliders, such as the CERN Large Hadron Collider.