Studies on a wideband, solid-state driven RF system for the CERN PS booster

In the framework of the LHC Injectors Upgrade project (LIU) the PS Booster (PSB) will undergo in depth consolidation and upgrade programs [1]. The aim is increasing the extraction energy to 2 GeV, exploiting the potential of Linac4 and allowing reliable operations during the next 25 years. For the RF system, substantial improvements could come from the replacement of the existing narrowband, tuned systems covering the h=1 and h=2 frequency ranges (0.6 ÷ 1.8 MHz and 1.2 ÷ 3.6 MHz respectively) with wideband (0.5 ÷ 4 MHz) Finemet® loaded cavities. The new system would be modular, allow multi-harmonic operation, use solid-state power stages and include fast RF feedback to compensate beam loading effects to some extent. A proof of principle system providing ≈3.0 kV accelerating voltage has been designed, constructed and installed in one of the PSB rings. This paper provides details on the design and measurements as well as information on the project status.