SPECS: Small Particle Electron Cooling Simulations

75647-The premier nuclear physics accelerator facility, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory, is colliding heavy ions to create conditions like those a fraction of a second after the big bang. An electron cooling section is being planned as part of a luminosity upgrade. Because the parameters and conditions for this electron cooling section will be fundamentally different than those built at other accelerator facilities, the research and design process will require high-performance, high-fidelity numerical simulations. This project will develop a parallel three-dimensional particle code that incorporates novel features for the detailed simulation of the electron cooling section planned for the RHIC. In particular, a "smart" particle algorithm will be used to incorporate the detailed microphysics of magnetized Coulomb collisions, enabling the simultaneous capture of space charge effects and thermal energy transfer, even for complicated electron and ion distributions. Phase I will demonstrate a proof-of-principle implementation of the smart particle algorithm ¿ both for electrostatic simulations in the beam frame, where temperature is meaningful, and for electromagnetic simulations in the lab frame, where relativistic effects on space charge are treated correctly. Also, the importance of relativistic effects on thermal exchange via binary Coulomb collisions will be assessed. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The parallel three-dimensional code should benefit scientists working to design the electron cooling section for the luminosity upgrade to the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. This code also should provide an excellent start for the accurate modeling of (1) the Boersch effect in the transport of strongly-magnetized electron beams for coolers, (2) the intrabeam scattering effect in heavy ion accelerators, and (3) the formation of crystal beams.