Simplified charged particle beam transport modeling using commonly available commercial software

Particle beam modeling in accelerators has been the focus of considerable effort since the 1950s. Many generations of tools have resulted from this process, each leveraging both prior experience and increases in computer power. However, continuing innovation in accelerator technology results in systems that are not well described by existing tools, so the software development process is on-going. We discuss a novel response to this situation, which was encountered when Jefferson Lab began operation of its energy-recovering linacs. These machines were not readily described with legacy software; therefore a model was built using Microsoft Excel. This interactive simulation can query data from the accelerator, use it to compute machine parameters, analyze difference orbit data, and evaluate beam properties. It can also derive new accelerator tunings and rapidly evaluate the impact of changes in machine configuration. As it is spreadsheet-based, it can be easily user-modified in response to changing requirements. Examples for the JLab IR upgrade FEL are presented.