Installation and operation of the new RF system for Lepton acceleration in the CERN SPS

Thirty-two accelerating modules, each made of a single-cell copper cavity, fed by its own tetrode amplifier, have been installed in the SPS (Super Proton Synchrotron) tunnel. These modules are arranged in groups of eight, each sharing the same HV power supplies and with a common RF driver chain, installed on the ground surface. Each module has its own control crate, and four independent beam control circuits have been built, one for each group of modules. Three groups have already been put into operation and have allowed acceleration of leptons in the SPS up to 18 GeV for the LEP (Large Electron-Positron collider) injection tests of July 1988, and up to the design energy of 20 GeV at a reduced intensity. First operational experience of this system in the interleaved mode of operation of the SPS is also reported