High intensity options for the CERN heavy ion programme

A design study for producing a lead ion beam, at the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) of CERN for fixed targets physics has been completed. Requests for higher intensities were formulated, in particular for a Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which is proposed to be constructed in the existing Large Electron Positron (LEP) ring tunnel. Collisions with highly relativistic ions are now regarded as an important facet of future LHC operations. The problems of obtaining sufficiently intense bunches of ions that have the required emittances for injection into the SPS, and subsequently, into the LHC, are discussed. The relatively low ion beam intensity planned for fixed target experiments is insufficient to obtain the required luminosity in the LHC. (R.P.) 8 refs.; 1 fig.; 3 tabs