1.5-GeV FFAG Accelerator for the AGS Facility

In this report we propose that a 1.5-GeV FFAG accelerator is considered as a substitute (replacement, if you wish) of the present 1.5-GeV AGS Booster. The substitution will enhance the performance of the AGS accelerator facility in a variety of ways. First of all, it would still allow preparation and acceleration of all hadronic types of particles, namely: protons, negative hydrogen ions, polarized protons and heavy ions. The major benefit is that it would considerably shorten the typical combined AGS acceleration cycle. As a consequence we expect an improvement of the beam stability and performance, an increase of beam intensity, and small beam dimensions. At the same time, the 1.5-GeV FFAG accelerator is, in our opinion, a better alternative to the 1.2-GeV SCL that has been proposed for the AGS upgrade toward an average proton beam power of 1 MW. It is conceptually easier to design, it requires less of engineering involvement and, very important, is less costly to build and to operate. We also present a preliminary design of the FFAG accelerator that proves its feasibility. Basing on that, we propose that a more detailed design is undertaken.