Three-dimensional nonlinear transverse beam dynamics of a radio-frequency quadrupole: comparison of PARMTEQ with an exact image-charge calculation

Summary form only given, as follows. A small section of a radiofrequency quadrupole accelerator has been analyzed using both a full three-dimensional beam dynamics code and a more conventional beam dynamics analysis approach represented by the code PARMTEQ. Transverse beam-dynamics effects predicted by both approaches were compared. The difference between the approaches was studied as a function of beam current. For beam currents in excess of 100 mA, the results indicate that space-charge/image-charge effects must be treated with detailed calculations