Inverse Cyclotrons for Intense Muon Beams

Intense muon beams are sought for their role in the future of both the high-energy and medium-energy physics programs at national laboratories, such as Brookhaven and Fermilab. Inverse cy­clotrons are a promising alternative to more expensive methods of cooling muon beams, but their ability to cool intense muon beams is untested. This project will develop a software suite capable of providing a complete, end-to-end simulation of an inverse cyclotron, in order to determine the acceptance of such a device for intense muon beams and what kind of losses can be expected. In Phase I, a numerical study of the space-charge limitations in various trapping-¿eld con¿gurations was performed. Software was developed to simulate the muon interaction with matter, and various loss mechanisms were included in the simulation. Phase I showed no significant limitations due to space charge in containing or extracting the beam from the cyclotron core. In Phase II, full end-to-end simulations of the inverse cyclotron will be performed. Because simulating the entire inverse cyclotron is computationally intensive, performance-enhancing techniques will be developed and employed. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: This project will provide enhancements to the electromagnetic particle-in-cell code, VOR­PAL, which is already a successful commercial product. The inclusion of detailed particle-matter interactions would make VORPAL a desirable tool for many applications, such as muon cooling, electron scraping, and collimation