Modelling challenges of the high power cyclotrons for the DAE$\delta$ALUS project

TL;DR

This paper discusses the design challenges and beam dynamics considerations for high-power cyclotrons accelerating H₂⁺ molecules, aiming to produce intense neutrino beams for the DAEδALUS experiment.

Contribution

It presents detailed design studies, simulations, and analysis of beam losses, dissociation, and stripping processes for high-power H₂⁺ cyclotrons in the DAEδALUS project.

Findings

Beam losses are a critical challenge in high-power cyclotron design.

H₂⁺ molecules offer advantages for acceleration and extraction.

Precise beam dynamics simulations inform design optimization.

Abstract

Design studies, for accelerator modules based on an injector cyclotron and a superconducting ring cyclotron able to accelerate H$_2^+$ molecules, are presented. H$_2^+$ molecules are stripped by a foil creating a proton beam, with a maximum energy of 800 MeV and a beam power of 8 MW (CW). This beam would be sent to a beam dump where neutrinos would be produced from pion and muon decays at rest for the Decay At rest Experiment for $\delta_{CP}$ At the Laboratory for Underground Science - DAE$\delta$ALUS. We are discussing the advantage of H$_2^+$ molecules for acceleration and present precise beam dynamics simulations w.r.t. extraction and beam losses. In general, beam losses are one of the most challenging parts in such a high power cyclotron design and must be addressed very early on in the design. We are also addressing H$_2^+$ dissociation and the stripping process, two other characteristic challenges in the DAE$\delta$ALUS design.