MOCADI, a universal Monte Carlo code for the transport of heavy ions through matter within ion-optical systems

A precise knowledge of the atomic and nuclear interactions of ions penetrating through matter placed within ion-optical systems is important for experiments with energetic secondary nuclear beams as well as for applications. For this purpose the code MOCADI was developed, incorporating both the higher-order ion-optical treatment and the atomic and nuclear interactions of heavy ions. MOCADI was used for the design of the projectile fragment separator FRS and for the preparation of the experimental programme. At that time only scarce information was available on the interaction of relativistic heavy ions penetrating thick layers of matter. In the meantime, new experimental results and refined theories have contributed to improve the theoretical descriptions used in the code. This progress and the general structure and features of the programme are outlined in this contribution.