The K500-to-K1200 coupling line for the coupled cyclotron facility at the NSCL

An upgrade now in progress at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) facility will couple two existing superconducting cyclotrons. This will provide significant beam intensity gains for all ions and for heavier ions, also increased energy. These gains will greatly enhance the performance of the NSCL facility, particularly for nuclear studies with radioactive beams and nuclear reaction physics. A significant element of this upgrade is the K500-to-K1200 coupling line used to transport beam between the two cyclotrons. Beyond satisfying the geometric constraints of beam transport, the system must match the six-dimensional phase space obtained from the K500 to that required for injection into the K1200. The transported beams range from low energy, heavy ions like ²³⁸ U²⁸⁺ at 6.9 MeV/u to high energy, light ions like ¹⁶O³⁺ at 16.7 MeV/u. Tracking studies have been done to simulate the required matching conditions and performance of the coupling line. The result of these studies, including required magnets and beam diagnostics are presented in this paper