Muon ring could act as a neutrino factory

Neutrinos have always been in the particle physics spotlight. However, with new machine ideas opening up the possibility of intense neutrino sources, this area of research could go on to reveal further insights into the weakly $9 interacting particles, thereby complementing the detailed knowledge of the quark sector. Muons, which are heavy relatives of the electron, come in positively and negatively charged versions with properties that are broadly similar to $9 those of electrons. These oppositely charged beams could be made to collide with each other to produce a wealth of particles. As a result of their being more than 200 times as heavy as electrons, muons that are bent by a magnetic $9 guide field lose much less energy than electrons and could be housed in far smaller rings. Several generations of muon colliders could be accommodated on existing laboratory sites. (0 refs).