by Mats Lindroos (CERN, Switzerland) & Mauro Mezzetto (INFN, Sezione di Padova, Italy)

The beta-beam concept for the generation of electron neutrino beams was first proposed by Piero Zucchelli in 2002. The idea created quite a stir, challenging the idea that intense neutrino beams only could be produced from the decay of pions or muons in classical neutrino beams facilities or in future neutrino factories. The concept initially struggled to make an impact but the hard work by many machine physicists, phenomenologists and theoreticians over the last five years has won the beta-beam a well-earned position as one of the frontrunners for a possible future world laboratory for high intensity neutrino oscillation physics. This is the first complete monograph on the beta-beam concept. The book describes both technical aspects and experimental aspects of the beta-beam, providing i) students and scientists with an insight into the possibilities offered by beta-beams; ii) facility designers with a starting point for future studies; and iii) policy makers with a comprehensive picture of the limits and possibilities offered by a beta-beam.