Design and construction of the SuperKEKB vacuum system

A two-ring electron-positron collider with asymmetric energies—called the SuperKEKB—has been designed by the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) as an upgrade of the KEKB B-factory (KEKB), which completed 12 years of operation in 2010. It is anticipated that the SuperKEKB will reach a luminosity of 8 × 1035 cm−2 s−1, which is approximately 40 times larger than that of the original KEKB. The upgrade of the vacuum system is a key factor that will allow the SuperKEKB to achieve unprecedented high performance. Most of the beam pipes, especially in the positron ring, are newly manufactured to manage the electron cloud effect, and to reduce beam impedance, which is essential to keep the low-emittance beam stable. Our design of the vacuum system implements recent technologies and draws on various experiences and studies during the operation of the original KEKB. The basic design is near completion, and manufacturing of beam pipes and the major vacuum components, such as bellows chambers, gate valves and supports, are in progress. The installation of these components will start in 2013 with the aim of commissioning the SuperKEKB in 2014.