Optimization of a mercury jet target for a neutrino factory or a muon collider

A study of target parameters for a mercury jet target for a neutrino factory or muon collider is presented. We simulate particle production initiated by incoming protons with kinetic energies between 2 and 100 GeV. For each proton beam kinetic energy, we maximize production by varying the geometric parameters of the target: the mercury jet radius, the incoming proton beam angle, and the crossing angle between the mercury jet and the proton beam. With an 8-GeV proton beam, we study the variation of meson production with the entry direction of the proton beam relative to the jet. We also examine the influence on the meson production by the focusing of the proton beam. The number of muons surviving through the neutrino factory front end channel is determined as a function of the proton beam kinetic energy.