Stability and transport properties of an intense ion beam propagating through an alternating-gradient focusing lattice

Stability and transport properties of an intense ion beam propagating through an alternating-gradient focusing lattice with initial Kapchinskij-Vladimirskij (KV) distribution are studied using newly-developed perturbative (delta f) particle simulation techniques. Stability properties are investigated over a wide range of beam current and focusing field strength. In the unstable region, large-amplitude density perturbations with low azimuthal harmonic numbers, concentrated near the beam surface, are observed. Their nonlinear consequences are discussed. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.