Transverse collection of pions

The early stages of a neutrino factory are critical to fulfill physics requ irements in the final muon storage ring. The transverse collection of pions behind the target is therefore a crucial feature for which different optio ns exist. In this article, two collection systems using either quadrupoles or a transition solenoid between the target acid the downstream channel are studied. The transition optics from the solenoid to a quadrupole channel i s also discussed. Some figures of merit such as maximum transverse momentum captured or radial acceptance are compared as well as the technical challe nges for each solution. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.