Expression of Interest in R&D towards a Neutrino Factory Based on a Storage Ring and a Muon Collider

Abstract

We are exploring the feasibility of a neutrino factory based on a muon storage ring. In this, beams of nu_mu and nubar_e arise from the decay of mu- particles (or alternatively, nubar_mu and nu_e from mu+). The muons come from the decay of low-energy pions produced by a megawatt proton beam incident on a nuclear target. The muons are captured into a magnetic channel, "cooled" by ionization in liquid hydrogen, accelerated to energy of order 50 GeV, and injected into a storage ring. A nonhorizontal ring can deliver neutrino beams to an on-site detector, as well as to two off-site detectors separated by global distances. Such a neutrino factory is a challenging extension of present accelerator technology. It is also a natural path to a muon collider, in that both facilities share many common elements upstream of their storage rings. Prior to a formal design study, R&D must be performed in several keys areas, such detailed simulations and actual targetry and cooling experiments. This in an excellent opportunity to advance the field of accelerator physics both at national laboratories and at universities.