Simulations of Waveguide Breakdown

Future neutrino experiments will require neutrino beam intensities beyond the capabilities of today¿s sources. However, breakdown of the accelerating cavities is expected to limit the performance of any proposed beam system. This project will investigate the breakdown of the metallic structures planned for muon beam systems, enabling reductions in the length and, thereby, the cost of future accelerators. New physics algorithms relevant to breakdown will be implemented and added to an existing library of routines developed to model plasma/material interactions. The routines then will be made available to two simulation packages already used to model breakdown. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The routines, such as those that model plasma radiation effects and multiple ionization processes, should find use in the astrophysical community and among researchers in plasma processing.