When will we know a muon collider is feasible? Status and directions of muon accelerator R&D

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent progress in muon collider R&D, discusses the feasibility of such colliders for future high-energy physics, and outlines the steps and timeline needed to establish their viability.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current muon collider R&D status and identifies key challenges and future directions for proving feasibility.

Findings

Significant progress in muon production and acceleration technologies.

Muon collider is a viable next-generation high-energy physics option.

Projected timeline for demonstrating feasibility is outlined.

Abstract

Over the last decade there has been significant progress in developing the concepts and technologies needed to produce, capture, accelerate and collide high intensity beams of muons. At present, a high-luminosity multi-TeV muon collider presents a viable option for the next generation lepton-lepton collider, which is believed to be needed to fully explore high energy physics in the era following the LHC discoveries. This article briefly reviews the status of the accelerator R&D, addresses the question of the feasibility of a Muon Collider, what needs to be done to prove it and presents projected timeline of the project.