Upgrading the AGS to 1 MW proton beam power

The Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) is a strong focusing accelerator that is used to accelerate protons and various heavy ion species to an equivalent proton energy of 29 GeV. At this energy the maximum intensity achieved is around 7/spl times/10/sup 13/ protons per pulse. This corresponds to an average beam power of about 0.2 MW. Future programs in high-energy physics, as for instance a neutrino factory with the AGS as the proton driver, may require an upgrade of the AGS to an average beam power of 1 MW, at the energy of 24 GeV. This can be achieved with an increase of the beam intensity to 1/spl times/10/sup 14/ protons per pulse, a 1.2-GeV superconducting linac as a new injector, and by upgrading the power supply and RF systems to allow cycling at 2.5 beam pulses per second.