New methods to derive the optical and beam parameters in transport channels

The standard approach to compute the optical parameters and the beam emitta nce in a transport channel is based on the analysis of the profiles measure d by three monitors. This requires the independent measurement of the dispe rsion function at the monitor locations and the knowledge of the value of t he beam's momentum spread. In this paper different approaches based on the use of more than three beam profiles are presented. These techniques allow the determination of the complete set of four optical parameters, the betat ron and dispersion functions and their derivatives, along with the beam emi ttance and the beam's momentum spread, simultaneously and without varying t he physical parameters of the transport channel or the upstream machine. A detailed description of the different methods is carried out with a particu lar emphasis on their accuracy. Results of numerical simulations are presen ted. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.