The neutrino factory is one of the proposed design for a future intense neutrino beam facility. In its current layout, a high-power proton beam impinges on a Hg jet target producing pions, decaying in turn into muons.

In order to reduce the particle beam emittance, the muon transverse momentum is reduced through ionization cooling by a technically demanding setup made of closely packed RF cavities alternated with absorbers. In this talk I will present the motivation for building an intense neutrino beam and some of the proposed neutrino facilities design. I will discuss the challenges inherent to the cooling of muons, possible optimization of the current baseline and the on-going R&D.

The seminar will take place at 2.15pm on 19 January 2012 in the IT Auditorium (bldg. 31 3-004)