Pushing the limits of high–intensity beams with HiRadMat

08 DECEMBER, 2024 | By Paraskevi Alexaki, Alice Goillot & Nikos Charitonidis

In the shadowy halls of HiRadMat, a mighty challenge was undertaken: the SMAUG2 experiment, named for the legendary dragon, sought to push the limits of material endurance under the blazing fury of high-brightness beams.

The quest began with a mystery—a beryllium window, shattered in 2021 under the unrelenting assault of highest proton densities. Why had it failed? What secrets lay hidden in the destruction? The fellowship of SMAUG2 gathered, uniting the wisdom of the BE-EA, TE-VSC and SY-STI guilds, to face the proton beam’s wrath and uncover the truth.

Three champions were chosen to face the trial by fire: the venerable Beryllium, the stalwart Glassy Carbon, and the enigmatic Si₃N₄. Under the relentless bombardment of 288 proton bunches with very high proton per bunch intensities, the beryllium window was the first to fall, its defenses crumbling at 2.3 × 10¹¹ protons per bunch – a limit never before charted on the map of material endurance.

Si₃N₄ stood valiantly but emerged with strange runes etched into its surface – mysterious patterns left by the beam or perhaps the whisper of the radiographic film. These cryptic marks hint at deeper forces at play, beckoning future adventurers to explore their meaning.

But every tale has its unexpected hero. Glassy Carbon, quiet and unassuming, bore the brunt of the beam’s fury and emerged with only a tiny 13 μm crater. Its resilience was a marvel, proving its worth as a champion of material science and beam intercepting windows! .

SMAUG2 wasn’t just a battle of endurance – it was a journey of discovery. The experiment revealed new thresholds for material failure, unearthed peculiar mysteries, and crowned Glassy Carbon as a promising contender for future quests. Si₃N₄ surpassed expectations, while beryllium showed where the road to improvement must lead.

As the experiment concluded, the fellowship stood victorious, their knowledge and insights shining brighter than ever. SMAUG2 has forged a path to the future of high-brightness beam technology, preparing HiRadMat for challenges yet to come.

The dragon’s treasure? A trove of knowledge that will guide the next generation of experiments. But as any adventurer knows, the journey doesn’t end here — it’s just the beginning of the next great quest.