Ion Polarization Scheme for MEIC

The choice of a figure 8 shape for the booster and collider rings of MEIC opens wide possibilities for preservation of the ion polarization during beam acceleration as well as for control of the polarization at the colliders interaction points. As in the case of accelerators with Siberian snakes, the spin tune is energy independent but is equal to zero instead of one half. The figure-8 topology eliminates the effect of arcs on the spin motion. There appears a unique opportunity to control the polarization of any particle species including deuterons, using longitudinal fields of small integrated strength (weak solenoids). Contrary to existing schemes, using weak solenoids in figure-8 colliders, one can control the polarization at the interaction points without essentially any effect on the beams orbital characteristics. A universal scheme for control of the polarization using weak solenoids provides an elegant solution to the problem of ion acceleration completely eliminating resonant beam depolarization. It allows one to easily adjust the polarization in any direction at any orbital location, which becomes necessary when transferring the beam from one ring into another or when measuring the polarization by polarimeters. It also allows for an easy manipulation of the spin direction at an interaction point during an experiment. The latter feature allows one to set up a spin-flipping system with a spin reversal time of less than a second. By compensating the coherent part of the zero-integer spin resonance strength, which arises due to errors in alignment of the magnetic element of the lattice, one can reduce the field integrals of the control solenoids by a few orders of magnitude.