Status report on the ral front end test stand

High power proton accelerators (HPPAs) with beam powers in the several megawatt range have many applications including drivers for spallation neutron sources [1],neutrino factories [2], waste transmuters and tritium production facilities. The UK's commitment to the development of the next generation of HPPAs is demonstrated by a test stand being constructed in collaboration between RAL,Imperial College London, the University of Warwick and the Universidad del Pais Vasco. The aim of the RAL Front End Test Stand is to demonstrate that chopped low energy beams of high quality can be produced and is intended to allow generic experiments exploring a variety of operational conditions. This paper describes the status of the RAL Front End Test Stand.