Abstract
We report on an experiment in which a negative hydrogen ions beam in the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) linear accelerator was replaced with a beam of protons with similar size and dynamics. Beam loss in the superconducting part of the SNS accelerator was at least an order of magnitude lower for the proton beam. Also beam loss has a stronger dependence on intensity with H- than with proton beams. These measurements verify a recent theoretical explanation of unexpected beam losses in the SNS superconducting linear accelerator based on an intra beam stripping mechanism for negative hydrogen ions. An identification of the new physics mechanism for beam loss is important for the design of new high current linear ion accelerators and the performance improvement of existing machines
