Stochastic processes in muon ionization cooling

A muon ionization cooling channel consists of three major components: the magnet optics, an acceleration cavity, and an energy absorber. The absorber of liquid hydrogen contained by thin aluminum windows is the only component which introduces stochastic processes into the otherwise deterministic acceleration system. The scattering dynamics of the transverse coordinates is described by Gaussian distributions. The asymmetric energy loss function is represented by the Vavilov distribution characterized by the minimum number of collisions necessary for a particle undergoing loss of the energy distribution average resulting from the Bethe–Bloch formula. Examples of the interplay between stochastic processes and deterministic beam dynamics are given. r 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.