Overview of the Workshop
The aim of the Workshop on Future Developments of European Muon Sources was to bring together European users of the muon spin rotation, relaxation and resonance technique to discuss future possibilities for the development of muon sources within Europe. The workshop enabled consideration of current European sources (ISIS, UK and PSI, Switzerland) and their future development plans; developments in the muon technique and their implications for future sources; the extent to which new neutron sources in Europe might be used for muon production; and the further development of a science case to support new muon source initiatives. EC Framework Programme 7 funding mechanisms likely to be launched in 2007 and of possible benefit to the muon community were also discussed. Detailed summaries of the Workshop talks and discussions are given below.
It is clear that the muon technique continues to evolve and develop. Increased possibilities are available to technique users – such as the range and combination of thermodynamic variables that can be accessed, the ability to use pulsed stimuli, increasing data rates and decreasing sample size, and use of low energy muons. Coming years will continue to see further developments in these areas and facilities report levels of funding increase that are enabling such technique improvements. Alongside these very positive developments, there is a continuing need to highlight the benefits of the muon technique to a wider scientific audience, and to maintain the drive to produce user-friendly facilities accessible to newcomers from a wide variety of science backgrounds.
The consideration of future European sources is very timely. Opportunities within Europe for new neutron source provision continue to develop, with the inclusion of the ESS project within the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures roadmap for future facilities, together with interest from a variety of countries in hosting a new source. The argument for a detailed study of how muons could be incorporated into future neutron sources is therefore strong at present. The British Accelerator Science and Radiation Oncology Consortium (BASROC), has just secured £8.5M from the RCUK Basic Technology programme to explore future possibilities with fixed field alternating gradient (FFAG) accelerators. FFAGs may enable provision of an accelerator-based muon source tailored to the needs of the muon technique, and the time is right to explore this possibility further. Finally, technology developments within the technique may provide the potential for step-changes in capabilities. New ways of capturing muons from the production target can offer two orders of magnitude increase in flux, enabling further development of low energy muon techniques together with possibilities for producing sub-millimetre muon beam spot sizes. These possibilities, together with detector and target developments, need further work to enable their potential to be realised.
These three areas – incorporation of muons into possible future European neutron sources, exploration of FFAGs for muon production, and development of technology relevant to the technique – provide a three-pronged approach to continue the initial discussions started during this Workshop. A Framework Programme 7 Design Study, focusing on these three areas, is one way forward. Such a study would benefit from a continued awareness of, and dialogue with, the worldwide muon community, and should build upon current and future developments at existing facilities. Alongside this, there is a need to continue to develop science and business cases for muons in forms appropriate to helping the realisation of possible future European muon source developments. Within these challenges there are significant opportunities to continue to see development of European muon science.
Philip King, Roberto De Renzi, Adrian Hillier, February 2007

Contents
• Overview of the Workshop
• Workshop Programme
• Summary of Workshop Sessions
• Appendix 1: Summary of Talks
• Appendix 2: Workshop Details

Download the full Workshop Report
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