A cost-effective design for a neutrino factory

The design of a neutrino factory based on a muon storage ring draws upon several tried and tested technologies, upon existing design work For other accelerator projects, e.g. neutron spallation sources, but it also depends on the development of technical solutions to certain specific requirements. These include the efficient capture of muons in a large volume of phase-space, some reduction in overall phase-space volume by ionization cooling, fast acceleration to the desired energy to avoid unacceptable decay losses and storage in a decay ring optimized for its purpose as a neutrino source. There is Ilo obvious single combination of machines to achieve this aim. Here we present a scenario which relies to a large extent upon known technologies together with a relatively unambitious mix of new schemes. Some will be tried and tested during design and construction; others during the early operational phase of the facility leading to a staged upgrade path - a well-proven strategy in the development of accelerator complexes. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.