Fringe field simulations of a non-scaling FFAG accelerator

TL;DR

This paper models a non-scaling FFAG accelerator using advanced fringe field simulations to evaluate beam stability during rapid resonance crossing, demonstrating that soft-edge fringe models significantly reduce beam loss.

Contribution

It introduces a mathematical framework for accurate fringe field modeling in non-scaling FFAGs and compares hard-edge and soft-edge fringe effects on beam stability.

Findings

Soft-edge fringe fields reduce beam loss from 21% to less than 6%.

The developed model accurately predicts magnetic fields using power series expansion.

Resonance crossing speed is critical for beam stability in FFAG accelerators.

Abstract

Fixed-field Alternating Gradient (FFAG) accelerators offer the potential of high-quality, moderate energy ion beams at low cost. Modeling of these structures is challenging with conventional beam tracking codes because of the large radial excursions of the beam and the significance of fringe field effects. Numerous tune resonances are crossed during the acceleration, which would lead to beam instability and loss in a storage ring. In a non-scaling FFAG, the hope is that these resonances can be crossed sufficiently rapidly to prevent beam loss. Simulations are required to see if this is indeed the case. Here we simulate a non-scaling FFAG which accelerates protons from 31 to 250 MeV. We assume only that the bending magnets have mid-plane symmetry, with specified vertical bending field in the mid-plane (y=0). The magnetic field can be obtained everywhere using a power series expansion, and we develop mathematical tools for calculating this expansion to arbitrary order when the longitudinal field profile is given by an Enge function. We compare the use of a conventional hard-edge fringe with a more accurate, soft-edge fringe field model. The tune 1/3 resonance is the strongest, and crossing it in the hard-edge fringe model results in a 21% loss of the beam. Using the soft-edge fringe model the beam loss is less than 6%.