The Mucool Test Area Linac Experimental Facility at Fermilab

The initial phase of civil construction has begun on a new Linac Experimental Facility at Fermilab with beneficial occupancy anticipated in fall, 2003. This facility is being designed for multipurpose use by establishing direct and independent control over incident beam parameters; for example, pulse duration from 1 - 50 musec, and beam transverse sizes from 1 - 15 cm (95%2of beam). The facility will be capable of accepting up to the full Fermilab Linac beam intensity (1.6 x 10(13) protons/pulse 15 Hz) making it one of the few areas where a primary beam is available for high intensity experiments. The purpose of the facility initially is to test the basic techniques and components proposed for muon ionization cooling in a proton beam judged equivalent in impact to a muon beam for a Neutrino Factory or Muon Collider. As such, the facility will provide the advanced cyogenic capability and safety systems required to perform R&D on liquid hydrogen targets. However, parallel future experiments are invited and, as a general facility, many areas of physics including radiation, medical, nuclear, atomic and beam diagnostics and control will be supported.