Future Plans for the Small Isochronous Ring

The Small Isochronous Ring (SIR) has been operational at Michigan State University since December 2003. It has been used for experimental studies of the beam dynamics in high-intensity isochronous cyclotrons and synchrotrons at the transition energy. Operational experience with SIR has demonstrated that the ring can be successfully used to study space charge effects in accelerators. The low velocity of beam particles in the ring allowed longitudinal profile measurements with an accuracy that would be difficult to achieve in full-size accelerators. The experimental data obtained in the ring was used for validation of the multi-particle, space-charge codes CYCO and WARP3D. Encouraged by the success of SIR in the isochronous regime, we consider options for expanding the scope of the beam physics studied in the ring. In this paper, we outline possible future experiments and discuss required modifications of the ring optics and hardware.