Bunch shortening experiments in the Fermilab booster and the AGS

The proton driver for a muon collider must be capable of producing 2.5/spl times/10 13 p/bunch on target (in 4 bunches) in order to reach the design luminosity in the collider ring. Additionally, the bunches are very short, with an RMS of only /spl sim/1 ns, to match the longitudinal emittance requirements of downstream capture, cooling, and acceleration systems. This criterion along with the high intensity places constraints on the proton driver design which will require both theoretical and experimental verification. This paper will discuss the bunch shortening techniques to be tested experimentally, the impact of longitudinal space charge, and potential instabilities in such an accelerator.