Report on the Current Surface Characterisation Research Project for the UKRF Cavity Development Programme

The equipment required to perform the surface characterisation is located at different institutions. This is due to the current limited budget available to this programme. Exposure of the copper samples to air will result in a copper oxide layer forming on the surface. This oxide layer will skew the results of the chemical analysis needed and also disguise surface defects that may be present after electropolishing. To minimise the formation of an oxide layer, the copper samples will be transferred from site to site in a nitrogen sealed foil bag.