Beam Dynamics Challenges for the ILC

The International Linear Collider (ILC) is a proposal for 500 GeV center-of-mass electron-positron collider, with a possible upgrade to {approx}1 TeV center-of-mass. At the heart of the ILC are the two {approx}12 km 1.3 GHz superconducting RF (SCRF) linacs which will accelerate the electron and positron beams to an initial maximum energy of 250 GeV each. The Global Design Effort (GDE)--responsible for the world-wide coordination of this uniquely international project--published the ILC Reference Design Report in August of 2007 [1]. The ILC outlined in the RDR design stands on a legacy of over fifteen-years of R&D. The GDE is currently beginning the next step in this ambitious project, namely an Engineering Design phase, which will culminate with the publication of an Engineering Design Report (EDR) in mid-2010. Throughout the history of linear collider development, beam dynamics has played an essential role. In particular, the need for complex computer simulations to predict the performance of the machine has always been crucial, not least because the parameters of the ILC represent in general a large extrapolation from where current machines operate today; many of the critical beam-dynamics features planned for the ILC can ultimately only be truly tested once the ILC has been constructed. It is for this reason that beam dynamics activities will continue to be crucial during the Engineering Design phase, as the available computer power and software techniques allow ever-more complex and realistic models of the machine to be developed. Complementary to the computer simulation efforts are the need for well-designed experiments at beam-test facilities, which--while not necessarily producing a direct demonstration of the ILC-like parameters for the reasons mentioned above--can provide important input and benchmarking for the computer models