Nominal longitudinal parameters for the LHC beam in the CERN SPS

A proton beam with the basic structure defined by the LHC requirements was first available for injection into the SPS in 1998. At the end of 2002, following a significant beam-studies and RF hardware upgrade programme, a beam having both the nominal LHC intensity and the correct longitudinal parameters was obtained at top energy for the first time. This beam, characterized by high local density, must satisfy strict requirements on bunch length, longitudinal emittance and bunch to bunch phase modulation for extraction to the LHC, where only very limited particle losses are acceptable. The problems to be solved came mainly from the high beam loading and microwave and coupled bunch instabilities which led both to beam losses and to unacceptably large longitudinal emittance on the flat top. In this paper the steps taken to arrive at these nominal beam parameters are presented.