A low-$\beta$ stripping insertion in the CERN PS to SPS transfer line for the LHC ion programme

In the framework of the LHC ion programme the charge state will be changed by passing through a thin metal stripping foil installed in the transfer line between the CERN PS and SPS machines. The tight transverse emittance budget of the LHC beam allows only a minor blow- up. Hence, to minimise the emittance growth due to multiple Coulomb scattering (a non-symplectic process leading also to Twiss parameter modification) the stripping foil has to be located in a low- beta region. Furthermore, any change of optics has to be compliant with the simultaneous operation of the transfer line with proton and ion beams. This paper describes a possible implementation of a low- beta insertion with the effect of scattering included. The impact of global constraints on the effective degrees of freedom of the matching problem has been studied in a systematic way and its outcome is reported. (5 refs).