Numerical simulation of spin motion in circular accelerators using spinor formulation

A simple method is presented based on spinor algebra formalism for tracking the spin motion in circular accelerators. Using an analytical expression of the one-turn transformation matrix including the effects of perturbating fields or of siberian snakes, a simple and very fast numerical code has been written for studying spin motion in various circumstances. In particular, effects of synchrotron oscillations on final polarization after one isolated resonance crossing are simulated. Results of these calculations agree very well with those which have been obtained previously from analytical approaches or from other numerical-simulation programs. (author) 8 refs.; 14 figs