Identity Statement | Context | Content and Structure | Conditions of access and use | Description control | Database
Conditions of access and use [Top]
Conditions governing access
See file level description and the CERN operational circular No 3: rules applicable to archival material and archiving at CERN. In general, records on any subject that are over 30 years old, and all records of a purely scientific nature, may be consulted.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright is retained by CERN, no reproduction without permission.
Language / scripts of material
Most of the material is written in French or English.
Finding aids
Listed to file level in the CERN Archives Database.
Content & Structure [Top]
Scope and content
With a diameter of 200 metres and reaching a final energy of 28 GeV, the Proton Synchrotron (PS) was for a while the most powerful accelerator in the world.
Today the PS complex can accelerate all stable and electrically charged particles (electrons, protons), their antiparticles (positrons, antiprotons), and different kinds of heavy ions (oxygen, sulfur, or even lead).
The first stage of acceleration happens in a linear accelerator (Linac), and each type of particle has its own. This is because of their very different masses.
Then all particle beams pass through the PS machine itself. Each acceleration cycle takes 2.4 seconds, and the PS control systems are so versatile that different particle beams can be dealt with on each successive cycle. The beams are then injected into the bigger rings for further acceleration (SPS, LEP or – in future – LHC). Proton beams from the PS complex are also used for physics experiments (ISOLDE, East Hall) or for the production of antiprotons (Antiproton Decelerator).
This collection includes reports, minutes, notes, specifications and memoranda classified by alphabetical order of groups and by year .
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Nothing was destroyed.
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
System of arrangement
The original order has been preserved. For purposes of cataloguing the files have been described according to the plan bellow :
- Internal reports were classified by group until 1976, then by year.
- Notes are classified by group with a additional information at the end of the reference number to indicate minutes (Min.), technical notes (Tech.), specifications (Spec.) or informations (Info.).
CERN-ARCH-PS-01 | 1 | PS first reports, Jun 1952 to Oct 1953 |
| 2 | PS authors reports, Jan 1952 to Oct 1960 | |
| 3 | PS internal reports by groups, Aug 1952 to Dec 2002 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-02 | PS minutes by groups, Oct 1958 to Oct 1992 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-03 | PS notes by groups, Nov 1956 to Dec 2001 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-04 | PS technical notes by groups, Feb 1968 to Nov 1992 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-05 | PS specifications by groups, Oct 1957 to Sep 1991 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-06 | PS memorandum by groups, Oct 1959 to Sep 1989 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-07 | PS information and installation notes, Jan 1971 to May 1986 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-08 | PS committees, Sep 1954 to Sep 1986 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-09 | PS technical board, Feb 1987 to Oct 1989 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-10 | PS Initial Cooling Experiment (ICE), Dec 1976 to Jul 1979 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-11 | PS working notes, running in, news, Jun 1952 to Jul 1992 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-12 | J B Adams collection, Jun 1952 to Dec 1987 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-13 | PS Miscellaneous, Jun 1952 to Feb 1961 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-14 | Group leaders', staff, Machine Areas Committee, and other committees 1953 to 1989 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-15 | Files of C. Germain 1952 to 1988 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-16 | Magnet steel, etc 1953 to 1978 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-17 | Theory of accelerators 1964 to 1965 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-18 | Machine schedules, magnet blocks, etc 1960 to 1975 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-19 | LEAR (Low Energy Antiproton Ring) and AA (Antiproton Accumulator) running news and group correspondence 1979 to 1987 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-20 | Files of H. Koziol 1970 to 1990 | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-21 | Files of Peter Standley,MPS Division Leader (1965-1972), PS-CD Group Leader (1976-1982) | |
| CERN-ARCH-PS-22 | PS staff lists, organizational charts, lists of PS groups, 1955-1993 |
Context [Top]
Name of creator
PS and MPS Division, CERN
Administrative history
The Proton Synchrotron (PS) is one of the oldest of CERN's accelerators. It was commissioned in 1959 and has been running continuously ever since. The PS has been modified considerably since then, adapting it to the ever increasing complexity of CERN's accelerator system. The PS Division has also seen a lot of changes :
| 1956 – 1960 | PS Division | |
| 1961 – 1965 | PS Machine (MPS) Division | |
| 1966 – 1967 | PS Department | PS Machine (MPS) Division |
| Nuclear Physics Apparatus (NPA) Division | ||
| 1968 | PS Department | PS Machine (MPS) Division |
| Nuclear Physics Apparatus (NPA) Division | ||
| Synchrotron Injector (SI) | ||
| 1969 – 1972 | PS Department | PS Machine (MPS) Division |
| Synchrotron Injector (SI) | ||
| 1973 | PS Department | PS Machine (MPS) Division |
| 1974 – 1975 | PS Department | PS Machine (MPS) Division |
| 1976 – 2002 | PS Division |
Between 1966 and 1976 CERN Divisions were grouped into Departments.
* Click on : PS Historical Chart
* For more detail on the group in PS Division, see : List of PS Groups
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Allardyce Brian, Divisional Planning Officer (DPO)
Description control [Top]
Archivist's note
Description prepared by Sandrine Reyes
Date(s) of description
Geneva, the 17th April 2002, Revised 2007.
Identity Statement [Top]
Reference code(s)
CERN-ARCH-PS-01-1-001 to CERN-ARCH-PS-13-02
Title
Archives of Proton Synchrotron Division and Machine Proton Synchrotron Division, PS and MPS
Date(s)
January 1952 – December 2001
Level of description
Sub-fonds
Extent of the unit of description
269 boxes, 30 linear metres