High intensity cyclotron simulations. Towards quantitative predictions

PSI operates the most powerful cyclotron worldwide to the benefit of a multi-user, cross-disciplinary research facility. The accelerator complex consists of a Cockcroft-Walton pre-injector, a 72-MeV separated sector injector cyclotron and a 590-MeV separated sector Ring Cyclotron. A beam current of 1.9 mA is routinely extracted from the Ring Cyclotron overall absolute losses are below 1E-3. The facility has a considerable potential for further improvements, an ongoing upgrade project aims at a beam current of 3 mA [2, 1]. The purpose of our multi-scale three-dimensional parallel code and methods development is to make the step from qualitative to quantitative predictions. Their simulation requires the accurate three-dimensional modeling of large and complicated accelerator structures including space charge, beam lines, collimation, and in the future secondary effects. We will show methods, both numerically and computational, that we use presently and give an overview on future directions. Measurements from the cyclotrons and beamlines will be compared with simulations carried out in the frame of the high intensity upgrade program. (author)