Meson Achieves Design Intensity
The Meson Experimental Area achieved an intensity of 10(10) protons per pulse on the M-2 beam line for the first time on Friday morning, April 15. The success follows several weeks of intense efforts in the Area to achieve this design intensity. Additional Shielding and a new monitoring system were installed. The Switchyard group assisted in the test.
Looking past on six years of waiting for the diffracted proton beam, one of its designers, Rich Orr, comments, "Linc Read and I stated in the 'Meson Laboratory Preliminary Design Report' in March 1971 that the M2 Diffracted Proton Beam would deliver 'an intensity of about 1010 diffracted protons / pulse.'
"Tim Toohig and the Meson Lab people have finally made honest men of us. At this intensity, the beam will be able to feed a much wider range of experiments than was previously possible."