Future high-energy accelerators will have unprecedented beam power, brightness, and luminosity. Accordingly, these advances will impose additional requirements on the operational needs of these machines. This project will develop a Virtual Accelerator Simulation System as a computer assisted training tool to meet the operational challenges of the next generation of machines. Using a unique object-oriented framework, the system will include a graphic user interface, a dynamic interactive tutorial system, expert system capabilities, and a suite of particle optics and accelerator simulation codes. Users can interact with it directly or through their control system via an application programming interface. A demonstration package of the Virtual Accelerator Simulation System concept will be developed in Phase I. The demonstration software will address defined accelerator control problems and include state-of-the-art particle optics codes, prototype operations tutorials, and interfaces to representative control system environments. The utility of the concept to support accelerator operations, research, and training will be established. Commercial Application and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The Virtual Accelerator Simulation System should provide operations personnel and researchers, involved in the control or study of accelerators, with innovative new modeling and training tools. Research laboratories, industrial facilities, and medical centers that utilize accelerators would benefit.
