The assembly of the Paul Trap Simulator Experiment (PTSX) is now
complete and experimental operations have begun. The purpose of PTSX, a
compact laboratory facility, is to simulate the nonlinear dynamics of
intense charged particle beam propagation over a large distance through
an alternating-gradient transport system. The simulation is possible
because the quadrupole electric fields of the cylindrical Paul trap
exert radial forces on the charged particles that are analogous to the
radial forces that a periodic focusing quadrupole magnetic field exert
on the beam particles in the beam frame. By controlling the waveform
applied to the walls of the trap, PTSX will explore physics issues such
as beam mismatch, envelope instabilities, halo particle production,
compression techniques, collective wave excitations, and beam profile
effects.
The Paul Trap Simulator Experiment
