Active Vibration Control of NLC Magnets

65050 To achieve a high degree of interaction between the positron and electron beams in the Next Linear Collider, the interacting beams must be aligned to within 1 nanometer. Low frequency vibration from auxiliary equipment and from local ground vibration causes relative motion of the two beams and therefore must be damped. Furthermore, longer term ground motions require periodic realignment of the beams through larger scale magnet movement. This project will develop a high force magnet support that provides active vibration damping based on magnetic ¿smart¿ material actuators. The system consists of a novel motion sensor that measures the motion of the quadrupole relative to the detector magnet, a high speed digital signal processor, and high force actuators based on magnetic smart materials. Phase I will develop a prototype actuator and measure its performance characteristics and sensitivity. A conceptual design for a feedback control system will also be developed. Commercial Applications And Other Benefits as described by awardee: Active vibration control is a serious problem in a wide range of applications. The low frequency and high amplitude damping capability that will be developed under this program should be valuable for semiconductor processing equipment and sensitive instrumentation such as electron or tunneling microscopes.