Producing an Intense, Cool Muon Beam via e+e- Annihilation

TL;DR

This paper explores a novel method of generating muon beams through electron-positron annihilation near threshold, offering potential advantages for neutrino factories or muon colliders despite significant technical challenges.

Contribution

It proposes an unconventional approach to produce low-emittance muon bunches via e+e- annihilation, highlighting its potential benefits and the substantial technical hurdles involved.

Findings

Potential for high-quality muon bunches with low emittance

Significant technical challenges due to low cross section and high power requirements

Speculative analysis of feasibility and engineering challenges

Abstract

We consider a highly unconventional approach to generating muon and antimuon bunches for a neutrino factory or muon collider: electron-positron annihilation just above muon-antimuon threshold. This approach can produce low-emittance bunches at high energy, easing the muon-cooling and acceleration challenges in such facilities. However, the small (< 1 $\mu$b) useable production cross section means that extraordinary beam-power and targeting challenges would have to be met. We speculate on what this might entail.