Vibration-RF Control of Superconducting-Helix Resonators for Heavy-Ion Acceleration

An electronic system for the control of the effects of RF frequency oscillations caused by mechanical vibrations in a superconducting helix are described. A combination of frequency modulation and amplitude modulation is used to lock the phase of a self-excited accelerating structure to that of a controlling master oscillator. The system has been used successfully during beam acceleration with a superconducting helix.