The proton and mixed-field irradiation facilities in the CERN PS East Area (known as IRRAD1 and IRRAD2), were heavily and successfully used for irradiation of particle detectors, electronic components and materials since 1992. These facilities operated with particle bursts-protons with momentum of 24GeV/c-delivered from the PS accelerator in "spills" of about 400ms (slow extraction). With the increasing demand of irradiation experiments, these facilities suffered from a number of restrictions such as the space availability, the maximum achievable particle flux and several access constraints. In the framework of the AIDA project, an upgrade of these facilities has been realized during the CERN long shutdown (LS1). While the new proton facility (IRRAD) will continue to be mainly devoted to the radiation hardness studies for the High Energy Physics (HEP) experimental community, the new mixed-field facility (CHARM) will mainly host irradiation experiments for the validation of electronic systems used in accelerators such as the LHC. In this paper, we outline the characteristics of the new IRRAD proton facility in terms of layout, area equipment and potential for new irradiation experiments.

The qualification of materials, electronic components and equipment for the CERN High Energy Physics experiments and beyond requires testing against possible radiation effects. These quite complex tests are performed by specialized teams working in irradiation facilities such as IRRAD, the Proton Irradiation Facility at CERN. Building upon the details of the overall irradiation control, monitoring, and logistical systems of IRRAD as a use case, we introduce the motivations for and general architecture of its new data management framework, currently under development at CERN. This infrastructure is intended to allow for the seamless and comprehensive handling of IRRAD irradiation experiments and to help manage all aspects of the facility. Its architecture, currently focused on the specific requirements of the IRRAD facility, is intended to be upgraded to a general framework that could be used in other irradiation facilities within the radiation effects community, as well as for other applications.

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CERN provides unique irradiation facilities for applications in dosimetry, metrology, intercomparison of radiation protection devices, benchmark of Monte Carlo codes and radiation damage studies to electronics.