Correction of beam-steering effects in low-velocity superconducting quarter-wave cavities

Superconducting cavities presently used for acceleration of ions in velocity range ∼0.01c to 0.3c (where c is the speed of light) are based on quarter-wave resonators. Currently there are several design proposals in nuclear physics laboratories for application of this type of cavity for acceleration of light and heavy ions. The operating frequencies of the cavities range from ∼50 to 360 MHz to satisfy various specifications. Electrodynamics studies of the field distributions in the beam-cavity interaction area indicate appreciable dipole components of both electric and magnetic fields, especially for higher-frequency cavities. The dipole fields induce beam steering, which is a strong function of rf phase and which couples the longitudinal and transverse motion. This can result in growth in the transverse emittance of the beam. In this paper, we propose two possible methods for the correction of such dynamic beam-steering effects in quarter-wave resonators. We analyze and discuss the correction methods for the particular examples of two quarter-wave resonators operating at 57.5 and 115 MHz designed for the driver linac of the Rare Isotope Accelerator facility.