Radiation-Hard Beam Position Detector for Use in the Accelerator Dump Lines

A new method of beam position measurement suitable for monitoring high energy and high power charged particle beams in the vicinity of high power beam dumps is presented. We have found that a plate made of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Silicon Carbide (SiC) [1] has physical properties that make it suitable for such an application. CVD SiC material is a chemically inert, extremely radiation-hard, thermo-resistive semiconductor capable of withstanding working temperatures over 1500°C. It has good thermal conductivity comparable to that of Aluminum, which makes it possible to use it in high-current particle beams. High electrical resistivity of the material, and its semiconductor properties allow characterization of the position of a particle beam crossing such a plate by measuring the balance of electrical currents at the plate ends. The design of a test device, and first results are presented in the report.