Muon Acceleration using Fixed Field, Alternating Gradient (FFAG) Rings

Abstract

Given their 2.2 microsecond lifetime, muons must be accelerated fairly rapidly for a neutrino factory or muon collider. Muon bunches tend to be large. Progress in fixed field, alternating gradient (FFAG) lattices to meet this challenge is reviewed. FFAG magnets are naturally wide; low momentum muons move from the low field side of a gradient magnet to the high field side as they gain energy. This can be exploited to do double duty and allow a large beam admittance without unduly increasing the magnetic field volume. If the amount of RF must be reduced to optimize cost, an FFAG ring can accommodate extra orbits. I describe both scaling FFAGs in which the bends in each magnet are energy independent and non-scaling FFAGs in which the bends in each magnet do vary with muon energy. In all FFAG designs the sum of the bends in groups of magnets are constant; otherwise orbits would not close. Ways of keeping the accelerating beam in phase with the RF are described. Finally, a 1 MeV proof of principle scaling FFAG has been built at KEK and began accelerating protons in June 2000 with a 1 kHz repetition rate.