Experience with the low β resonators at LNL

The construction of the low β section of ALPI, the superconducting booster at Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, has been started. The 80 MHz buncher cryostat was installed and the first, preliminary test during a machine run was performed. The results confirm that the foreseen mode of operation is sufficient to overcome the mechanical instabilities at the field level of 3 MV/m required by ALPI. The rf performance of the low β resonator suggests that this operating field level could be increased significantly (almost doubled). Preliminary results of experiments on a new fast tuner are reported.