Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Longitudinal beam dynamics simulations are an essential tool for the design and operation of circular and linear accelerators alike, fundamentally supporting everything from RF system design to the interpretation of beam-based measurements. This paper gives a practical, self-contained introduction to longitudinal beam tracking, aimed at newcomers to the field who wish to build, or better understand, their simulation tools. Starting from the analogy between beam tracking and particle-in-cell plasma simulations, the basic equations of motion, their discretisation, and the choice of phase-space coordinates are introduced, followed by the collective effects driven by the machine impedance. The modelling of the RF system and its associated control loops, and the generation and matching of realistic particle distributions are discussed thereafter. Selected topics that require a fully six-dimensional treatment are briefly touched upon, before closing with practical guidance on the design, optimisation, and benchmarking of longitudinal tracking codes.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Author: Timko, Helga
Institution: European Organization for Nuclear Research
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7215040839