Octupole focusing in transport and acceleration systems

The radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) linac is capable of accelerating high-current, low-velocity RFQ and higher velocity accelerating structures, the current bottleneck still typically occurs within the FRQ. This limiting current is quite high in most cases, but linacs with even higher currents may be required in the future. We have begun a study of higher multipole systems to determine their capability for focusing and accelerating very high currents. We have chosen first to examine a radio-frequency octupole (RFO) transport system, and have developed a smooth-approximation analytical description that includes the conditions for input radial matching of a zero space-charge beam. Further, we have constructed a multiparticle beam-dynamics simulation program that accepts the low-current matched beam and gradually increases the beam current as it is transported. This results in a matched high-current beam, and the procedure can be used to determine the saturation-current limit of a periodic octupole system. As expected, at high currents the beam develops a hollow radial distribution that reduces the space-charge defocusing; initial results show that high currents can be transported. For acceleration, we have formulated the design parameters for a section of RFO linac, including the potential function, acceleration, and focusing efficiencies, and the geometry of the radially modulated pole tips