Improved graphical user-interface for accelerator modeling and analysis in 2D and 3D

Particle-accelerator facilities rely on beamline modeling and simulation software for fundamental design and analysis. Such software often has idiosyncratic text-based input and output formats, making modeling a tedious and error-prone process. Graphical output, where available, is often 2D, and because of the varied output formats, comparison between different simulation codes can be cumbersome. Moreover, design of an accelerator typically proceeds as follows: lattice physicists develop full beam optics, and then engineers and designers create the 3D drawings. This process often requires numerous iterations between the physicists, engineers, and design teams to avoid conflicts between components and infrastructure. A 3D lattice design tool utilizing an open standard lattice format would address these issues and significantly reduce the needed iterations for transitioning from conceptual design to final designs. Xelera Research LLC will develop an open-source software package that provides an improved and userfriendly graphical user-interface for accelerator design and simulation in 2D and 3D. We will prototype the software using Bmad and Tao, which are used at several DOE facilities for beamline modeling and simulation. The software will be developed as an extension to the widely used open-source program Blender to enable fully 3D design. The Phase I project will include the development of a 3D lattice builder/editor, a method to incorporate 2D output and external signals into the 3D interface for analysis and control systems integration, and creation of an open standard lattice data format. The team at Xelera Research LLC is uniquely qualified to address this need, as our members include experts with many years of experience both in designing accelerator beamlines and in developing modeling, simulation, and analysis codes.