This file describes changes, additions, and bug fixes in Parmela and
related codes in reverse chronological order.


December 1, 2005  Parmela version 3.40.0013

Modified the example files that refer to .T7 files generated by 
the Superfish postprocessor SF7 to use the new file naming 
convention.  The batch files will work with Poisson Superfish 
7.16.0014 and higher.  The last 4 digits is the build number.
To find out what version you have go to Control Panel, Add/Remove  
Programs and highlight Poisson Superfish v7.  Click on support 
information to view the version number.



July 19, 2005 Parmela version 3.40.0003

Parmela can now be run from a batch file without opening the window. 
The keyword ScreenOutput = No in the LANL.INI file will suppress the 
Parmela window. The Pargraf graphics window can be suppressed by 
using the keyword SuppressGraphics = Yes in the Pargraf section of 
LANL.INI.

Improved the routine in the 3-D space-charge routine that adjusts the 
mesh to the changing aspect ratios of the beam bunch. Two new variables 
in the Parmela section of LANL.INI described below provide user control 
of this adjustment. 

LANL.INI variable Min3dIntervals sets the minimum number of intervals 
in the x and y directions in the SPCH3D calculation.  The default 
value is 16, but 32 intervals may be required for some problems.  

LANL.INI variable Ratio3d sets the maximum ratio of the mesh size in 
the z direction to the average x and y mesh size.  Bench marking the 
SPCH3D routine against the 2-D SCHEFF routine shows some difference 
between the two routines that appears to be related mostly to the 
mesh size at the point where the image charge calculation is turned 
off.  SPCH3D and SCHEFF now use the same criteria to chose the point 
to turn off the image charge (when Zref=deltaZsc/4). There are small 
differences in emittance that can be minimized by choosing comparable 
mesh sizes.  The Ratio3d setting does not appear to have as large an 
effect, so the default value has been chosen as 10 versus the old 
value of 4.
 
For the INPUT 9 Gaussian distribution, when GaussianSize = 1 (the 
default) the maximum size of the beam has been smaller by a factor 
of 0.707 than the value specified by maximum size parameter.  This 
has been corrected.



June 16, 2005 Parmela version 3.39.0019

We updated the documentation of the SPECIAL line in Parmela.



March 17, 2005 Parmela version 3.39.0005

INPUT 9 Gaussian distributions have been too small by a factor of
0.707 in both longitudinal and radial directions.  This is fixed 
in version 3.39 with the addition of a variable in LANL.INI called 
Gaussian_Size. The possible values for this variable are 1 and 2. 
If Gaussian_Size=2 means rms value of beam size is 0.707 * sigma 
which is the convention for version 3.38 and earlier. The default 
value is 1 and now the rms values of x, y, and z = and z = sigma_r 
or sigma_phi on the INPUT 9 line. 


February 14, 2005 Parmela version 3.38.0030

The installer now preserves user settings in LANL.INI even if the 
line starts with a comment character (semicolon or exclamation 
mark).  Previously, if a user had commented a line in the file, 
the commented line would be preserved, but the original line with
its default setting would also appear in the new file.  This older 
behavior could lead to unexpected results.  For example, if the 
user included in the [Global] section of LANL.INI an active version 
of a commented line in another section, the setting in the [Global]
section would be ignored.  The Mk_LAINI utility, if run separately 
after the installation, includes the same change.  



February 2, 2005 Parmela version 3.38.0028

We fixed a bug in the line parser used in Parmela and Pargraf.  
In previous versions, a tab character appearing in certain places 
could cause the parser to fail to recognize valid numerical 
entries.  Tab characters between parameters was not a problem.  
However, a trailing tab or a tab between the last numerical 
parameter and a comment string (starting with either a semicolon 
or an exclamation mark) prevented the code from identifying the 
last numerical parameter as a number. 



January 5, 2005 Parmela version 3.38.0027

Table IV-2 in the Parmela documentation now accurately describes the 
contents of the .T7 file written by Poisson Superfish postprocessor 
SF7 (starting with version 7.15).    

The Parmela documentation now advises users to avoid using leading 
spaces on lines containing a filename unless the spaces are part of
the filename.  Filenames are supplied on separate lines following 
CField, TRWCField, EM3DField, and Poisson lines in the Parmela input 
file.




December 6, 2004 Parmela version 3.38.0024


We fixed a problem in Pargraf that prevented high-charge-state 
particles from displaying if there were fewer particles than 
specified by NumPartThreshold in LANL.INI



November 15, 2004 Parmela version 3.38.0022

We fixed a bug that occurred when Parmela reads in the first
field-map file. Previously, Parmela always applied a small fix 
to field-map data to simplify interpolation near a curved cathode. 
Parmela now only applies the fix if the field map is used by a 
CELL or CELL2 element that starts at z = 0. Also, it is no longer
necessary for the field map used by the cell containing the 
cathode to be the first field map read by Parmela.



November 1, 2004 Parmela version 3.38.0021

When OUTPUT 1 is selected in the Parmela input file, numbers written
to the Tape2.T2 and Tape3.T3 output files now contain 8 significant 
figures.  Previously, small numbers could lose some precision.  
 


October 12, 2004 Parmela version 3.38.0019

We corrected an error in documentation of the BEND element in the 
section that describes an example of a segmented bend.  The correct 
value of the psi1 and psi2 variables computed from the equation 
indicated is 8.4915 (not 6.511).  We thank a Parmela user at Argonne 
National Laboratory for bringing this error to our attention.



September 10, 2004 Parmela version 3.38.0015

Beginning with version 3.30, the installer and utility program 
MK_LAINI.EXE would preserve settings in LANL.INI that had been edited
by the user.  The codes will now also preserve any additional comment 
lines added by the user.



August 4, 2004 Parmela version 3.38.0008

Parmela now correctly uses a different seed for the random number 
generator when the Type parameter is negative on the INPUT line. 
The documentation of this feature has also been updated.



July 15, 2004 Parmela version 3.38.0005

The documentation of the BEND element has been updated to describe
the recent changes made in the way the element handles particles of 
opposite-sign charge. 



July 7, 2004 Parmela version 3.38.0001

We fixed a bug in the DRIFT routine that affected multiply-charged 
ions. In the calculation of the effect of the background magnetic 
field, the particle charge appeared in the denominator instead of 
the numerator.  In most cases, the charge magnitude is unity so 
the error had no effect. However, for multiple charge state ions 
the bug incorrectly decreased the effect of the magnetic field 
instead of increasing the effect. 

The BEND element now uses the charge of each particle to transport 
the beam through the bend element. Previously, the BEND calculation
ignored the charge, assuming the charge was the same for all 
particles. This change now means that particles whose charge has 
the opposite sign of the reference particle charge will be 
deflected away from the reference beam and most likely lost.




June 18, 2004 Parmela version 3.37.0003

We fixed a small bug in the space-charge routine SCHEFF that 
was introduced in version 3.36.  The area of the innermost 
ring had been reduced inadvertently by a factor of 2 when 
RingOption 7 or 9 was selected on the SCHEFF line. 



June 8, 2004 Parmela version 3.37.0001

Parmela has a new option in the space-charge calculation.  Set 
RingOption = 9 on the SCHEFF line to lengthen the mesh 
automatically when particles are outside the longitudinal mesh. 
Use this option only with a well-defined bunch in the z-direction.

The Tablplot-timestep-emittance output now generates output at 
every time step even if the normal time step output is not called 
for on the start or continue lines. This results in much more 
data being written to the Tablplot file. 

The 3-D space-charge subroutine (activated by the spch3d line) 
now automatically increases the number of mesh intervals in the 
z direction when the aspect ratio (z mesh intervals over the 
average of the x and y intervals) exceeds 4. A new keyword in 
file LANL.INI limits the size of the 3-D space-charge arrays, 
if possible.  The line "Spch3dArraySize=524288" would mean the 
mesh size is limited to 16x16x2048, or 8x8x8192, etc.  When the 
number of mesh intervals increases in the z direction, and the 
array would exceed the size specified by Spch3dArraySize, then 
the code reduces the number of mesh intervals in the x and y 
directions, but not less than 8 in each direction.

The Solenoid element entrance no longer traps particles in an 
endless loop when they should have just been reflected.

For INPUT type 0, if a line from the ISIS file requires multiple
particles in Parmela, the code now distributes those particles 
at equal angles around the z-axis.  Previous versions just put 
the additional particles on top of the previous one if they 
came from the same line in the input file. For example, with 
5000 equal-charge particles in the input file, if you use the 
line "input 0 50000" Parmela will place 10 particles for each
input particle exactly 36 degrees apart around the z-axis. The
INPUT section in the documentation describes the procedure.  

 


May 24, 2004 Parmela version 3.36.0002


The new variable LaheyLF90DstFile in file LANL.INI controls the 
type of format used for binary files created by the RFQOUT line 
in Parmela. If LaheyLF90DstFile = Yes, then Parmela writes a 
distribution file (the name is specified by variable Part_Out_Dst)
compatible with program Parmteqm and Parmila, which are Lahey Fortran 
90 (LF90) programs. If this keyword is No, then the Part_Out_Dst file 
uses the Lahey/Fujitsu Fortran 95 (LF95) format for binary files.



April 27, 2004 Parmela version 3.36.0001

We made some changes to make the SPCH3D calculation more accurate 
during the image charge calculation. The SPCH3D calculation is quite 
accurate provided the aspect ratio of the mesh is within the range of
about 0.25 to 4. This is not a hard limit. The aspect ratio can be 
outside this range, but if it very much outside, the error in the 
magnitude of the space-charge force may be significant. For example, 
if the aspect ratio is greater than 4, the radial force may be too 
large. An aspect ratio of 4 means the size of the z mesh intervals 
are 4 times larger than the average of the x and y intervals. Parmela 
writes a warning in file Outpar.txt if the aspect ratio exceeds 4. If 
this warning occurs, the user can stop the calculation, and add 
appropriate SPCH3D and CONTINUE lines in the input file to control 
the number of intervals in the x, y, and z directions. The status bar 
at the bottom of the window now lists the ratio and overall size of 
the mesh. This information no longer appears in the scrolling window 
text.

Parmela now includes a zero-length magnetic STEERER element, which 
is defined by supplying the products BxL and ByL in Gauss-cm.  See the 
documentation for details.

Previously, a particle exactly on axis would not be deflected by a 3-D 
background magnetic field. This problem has been fixed.



April 1, 2004 Parmela version 3.35.0024

We have updated the documentation and sample input files for the 
TRWAVE example.  The Parmela run now reads field maps created by 
Poisson Superfish, replacing the old method of generating Fourier
coefficients from the field map.  

Parmela users who use program SF7 to create files for the CField and
TRWCField lines in Parmela may wish to install Poisson Superfish 
version 7.12 or later.  Starting with version 7.12, SF7 allows control
of the field normalization in the SF7 input file.  This feature is 
required to run the updated example in directory TRWAVE.  

Programs EFLD and EFLDTR (along with their example files), which 
compute Fourier coefficients from field maps are still included in 
the distribution.  These programs are now generated using a Fortran 
90 compiler so they will run on Windows XP.  However, we consider 
these codes obsolescent and recommend that users supply field maps 
directly to Parmela. 



March 16, 2004 Parmela version 3.35.0019

When opening file LANL.INI, Parmela and Pargraf no longer look on the PATH.
The code first looks in the current directory. Next, it checks environment 
variable LANLINI for the directory containing LANL.INI.  Next, it looks in 
the directory containing the executable file, and finally it looks in the 
installation directory (as defined by environment variable ParmelaDir). The 
first file found is the one the program will use.  This change conforms to 
the same method used in Poisson Superfish codes when opening file SF.INI.




February 25, 2004 Parmela version 3.35.0016

We fixed some problems in the InstallShield setup program.  Some 
Start menu entries were not linked to the correct executable codes
or documentation files.




February 22, 2004 Parmela version 3.35.0013

Starting with Poisson Superfish version 7.11 (released this date), 
program SF7 can now duplicate the feature in Poisson and Pandira 
that creates a 2-D field map for input to Parmela.  SF7 is now the 
preferred method for creating all three types of 2-D cylindrically
symmetric field maps: rf, magnetic, and electrostatic.  The Parmela 
documentation has been updated to reflect the change in Poisson
Superfish.



February 19, 2004 Parmela version 3.35.0012

We added material to the documentation that describes the format of 
text files containing 2-D file maps.  (Information about 3-D files 
was already available.)  These files are usually produced by the 
Poisson Superfish codes.  With the information provided, users may 
produce compatible files from fields computed by other codes.

We clarified the discussion of sign conventions in the documentation 
with regard to the direction of acceleration.  The text now explicitly 
refers to the direction of acceleration for positive longitudinal 
electric field and includes the cell-to-cell phase shift for TANK and 
TRWAVE elements.
  


December 2, 2003  Parmela Version 3.35

Fixed a bug that prevented Parmela from finding the LANL.INI file in the 
LANL directory if no local LANL.INI file was present.

Increased the length of the character variables that held the full path and
file name from 64 characters to 256 characters. It has become easy to 
exceed the 64 character limitation in which case Parmela could not read or 
write to a file with more than 64 characters in its name.

Fixed a couple of bugs in the coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) routine. 
One caused the routine to hang. Another caused variable dz, used as a 
longitudinal increment, to increase each time the routine was called if the 
number of z intervals on the SCHEFF line exceeded 256. This bug affected 
both the SCHEFF space-charge calculation and the CSR calculation.



September 25, 2003 Parmela Version 3.34.0001

Fixed bug in the implementation of the TRWCFIELD line.  When Parmela 
encountered a TRWCFIELD line, it deleted all field data for TRWAVE 
cells that were described by Fourier coefficients.  This was not 
intended and the bug has been fixed. 

An array allocation error associated with TRWCFIELD was also fixed.



September 24, 2003 Parmela Version 3.33.0004

Parmela now uses Lahey/Fujistu Fortran 95 version 5.7d and Winteracter 
version 5.0g.



June 27, 2003 Parmela Version 3.33

Some improvements were made to the 3D space charge calculation, but 
this calculation still needs work. If you use the 3D calculation, make 
comparisons with the 2D (SCHEFF) calculations and let Lloyd Young know 
the results of the comparison. (Please send Lloyd Young email at 
ylloyd@qwest.net.) The 3D calculation did not work correctly in version 
3.32, the new LF95 version.  If you really need to use 3D space charge, 
we recommend using use Parmela version 3.31 until we resolve this issue.

We added variable LaheyLF90dstFile to the [Parmela] section of file 
LANL.INI.  If LaheyLF90dstFile=Yes (the default value), then Parmela 
will read and write LF90 type sequential unformatted files for the *.dst 
particle distribution files.  This format is expected by several other 
codes (Parmila, ParmteqM, Toutatis).  When Parmela reads an input 
particle distribution, it will convert the LF90 type sequential 
unformated file named "xxx.dst" to a LF95 type sequential unformated 
file named "LF95xxx.dst" and then read the converted file. If a file 
with the name "LF95xxx.dst" exists, Parmela will delete it and write a 
new file with that name.

Fixed a problem with the CELL element that appeared in version 3.32.  
If the frequency specified on the CELL line was zero, the code used a 
frequency of zero for that CELL element instead of using the default 
frequency specified on the RUN line.


June 16, 2003 Parmela Version 3.32.0005

We clarified the documentation of the ERRORS line, which can be used to
displace transversely beam-line elements.



June 9, 2003 Parmela Version 3.32.0002

Starting with version 3.32, we use the Lahey/Fujitsu Fortran 95 compiler 
LF95 version 5.7 to compile Parmela.  Some temporary binary files created 
by Parmela from earlier versions compiled with Lahey LF90 are incompatible 
with version 3.32 and higher.  Before running Parmela 3.32 or higher, we 
recommend that you delete all occurrences of files named SCGRID, TAPE3.T3 
and SAVECOR?, where the question mark represents letters A, B, C, etc.  
If any of these files remain from running Parmela version 3.31 or earlier, 
Parmela 3.32 will crash when it attempts to read the old files.



April 17, 2003 Parmela Version 3.31.0003

We added a clarification to the documentation regarding background static 
fields. The background static fields are only active in the DRIFT, CELL, 
TRWAVE, DTCELL, and TANK elements.  In other elements such as QUAD, BEND, 
SEXTUPOLE, and SOLENOID, the background fields are ignored.

Changed the format of the SAVECOR- file to include all the particles,
even those that are lost.  Because each particle has a unique particle 
number, references to arrays in the SAVECOR- file by this original 
particle number fail unless the array store all particle coordinates.



April 14, 2003 Parmela Version 3.30.0005 

We corrected an error in Table IV-3 in the documentation.  The correct 
unit for the divergnece coordinates is milliradians, not degrees. 


March 25, 2003 Parmela Version 3.30.0003

We fixed a bug in the space-charge subroutine when used with option = 7.
With this option Parmela automatically sizes the radial mesh when a 
Cathode line has a positive radius.  If the image charge is at a large 
radius, it may caused the radial mesh size to increase too much.  The 
fix was to ignore the image charge when sizing the radial mesh. 



December 10, 2002 Parmela Version 3.30

This distribution uses a new InstallShield setup program.  There are now
only two files to download from the FTP server: the Setup program, which 
has a name that includes the version number (Parmela_3.30.Exe), and the
file Keycode.Txt from the Register subdirectory assigned to your 
institution.  The Setp program will request your FTP login username and
the 14-character keycode found in file Keycode.Txt. 

Fixed a problem with the EM3DField calculation when using multiple files 
with different mesh increments.  All maps were using the mesh increments 
of last map read instead of increments for the individual maps.

In the Wiggler section of the documentation We fixed typographical errors 
in two of the equations.

We changed the defintion of momentum cooordinates xp and yp to avoid a
possible divide-by-zero error.  The old definitions were xp = (bg)x/(bg)z
and yp = (bg)y/(bg)z, where (bg) stands for beta gamma.  The new 
definitions are xp = (bg)x/(bg) and yp = (bg)y/(bg), where (bg) = 
sqrt[(bg)x^2 + (bg)y^2 + (bg)z^2].

The maximum value of xp and yp is now 1 radian or 1000 mrad.

You can now optionally enter the value of the thermal energy as a 
negative number on the Cathode line. In the resulting distribution all
particles have the same energy, equal to the absolute value of the 
thermal energy with isotropically distributed directions.  The energy on
the run line has no effect after the particles pass the Cathode element.

We fixed a bug associated with the keyword CFieldPath in LANL.INI. If a
path was specified Parmela would not consistantly use the specified path.
CFieldPath sets the path for files specifed by the lines "CField, 
TRWCField, Poisson, and EM3DField.

We fixed a bug with the new form of the Poisson line with multiple
electrostatic field maps.

Parmela now creates a Tablplot file for plotting 3D electrostatic field 
maps.

We added the beam-loading calculation to the traveling wave accelerator.

The Input line for a Gaussian or uniform distribution with no energy 
spread (Type 9) now can generate an elliptical shape and can offset the 
distribution transversely.  The documentation describes how to use these 
features. 



November 6, 2002 Parmela Version 3.28

We fixed a bug in Parmela that affected output of particle coordinate 
data.  Parmela has 75 dynamically allocated buffers for storing the 
particle coordinates at the end of each element for which output has 
been requested.  Typically the code uses only a few of these buffers, 
which is why the error escaped detection sooner.  The problem with the 
buffers occurred if a problem required more than 20 buffers.  Data that 
should appear in buffers 21 through 30 were instead put in the last 
buffer used, overwriting existing data.  Output would appear for 
elements that were supposed to use buffers 21-30, but the actual output 
came from the last buffer used. 

We fixed a bug that occurred occasionally when the Parmela reference 
particle was dropped from the calculation.  When the reference particle 
is lost in a Parmela simulation, the code searches for a nearby good 
particle and uses it as the reference particle.  The problem was, it 
left behind a particle with corrupted coordinates in its place. 

Parmela has a new feature that suppresses output to the screen. If 
keyword ScreenOutPut=No in the [Parmela] section of file LANL.INI, then 
Parmela will not write anything to the console screen.  Using this 
feature may speed up execution, especially if there are a large number 
of lost particles.  The danger is that error and warning messages that 
would only appear on the screen will not be seen. 

Fixed a bug that would cause Parmela to crash if a problem needed more 
than 30 output buffers.


October 31, 2002 Parmela Version 3.27

We modified the coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) calculation to
prevent a problem with precision observed when the beam energy exceeded
about 150 MeV.  Even using double precision the formula started to blow
up at large energies.  Since the CSR effect converges to a constant
effect above 150 MeV, the calculation now limits the energy to 150 MeV.

The INPUT 30 line can now read a text file as an option if the filename
extension is TXT.

LANL.INI variable Part_In_Dst has a new option for entering multiple
files of particle distribution data for the INPUT 30 line. Set variable
Part_In_Dst = @filename, where filename is the name of a file containing
the names of the beam distributions files.  If a beam distribution file
has extension TXT, the Parmela reads the data as text, otherwise it
assumes the file is an unformatted binary file.

The RFQOUT command in Parmela will now use the filename specified by the
variable Part_Out_Dst in LANL.INI.  The default filename is RFQ_IN.DST.
If the file has extension TXT, then Parmela writes a text file rather
than an unformatted binary file.  Parmela can read this file using an
INPUT 30 line.

We added a new input option specified by an INPUT 40 line.  This input
option is similar to INPUT 4 except that the coordinate data is
contained in a text file specified by LANL.INI variable Part_in_Dst.

We changed the default in Parmela to not write files formerly named
BeamLoad and BeamLoss. These file may be used by certain Parmela
companion programs.  If LANL.INI keyword BeamLoad or BeamLoss specify a
valid filename then Parmela will generate the file.



July 26, 2002, Parmela Version 3.26

We fixed a bug that would cause Parmela to hang when using a negative
time step.

In the TimeStepEmittance file the average energy was actually the Z
momentum in the previous version.  It is now kinetic energy.

In a decelerator, the space-charge routine SCHEFF will now adjust the
mesh gamma as the energy decreases.

Parmela can now read 3-D fields from a text file.  If the file
containing 3-D fields has extension TXT, or variable 3dTextFile = Yes
in file LANL.INI, then Parmela will open the file as a text file.  Refer
to the documentation for Parmela input lines EM3DFIELD and CFIELD for
more information.

We made the following changes in plotting options in program Pargraf.
For SUBNUM 7, option 4 the energy versus phase plot has been replaced
with a plot of the radial coordinate versus angular velocity.  For
SUBNUM 7, option 5 the phase spectrum has been replaced with a plot of x
versus dW. For SUBNUM 7, option 6 the phase spectrum has been replaced
with a plot of r versus dW.  Option 1 plots the phase spectrum.



July 15, 2002, Parmela Version 3.25

Entries in the column of particle numbers in the Parmela output file now
use more significant digits when using the option OUTPUT 1.

Program Parmela has new keyword RotatingFrame in the LANL.INI file.  If
RotatingFrame is No or False, then Parmela does not rotate the frame of
reference for particles inside solenoidal magnetic fields.  The default
is setting is Yes.

Program Pargraf has new keyword TimeStepEmittance in the LANL.INI file.
LANL.INI keyword TimeStepEmittance specifies the name of a Tablplot
input file of the form filename.TBL.  If this keyword is present (and
has a value other than None), then Parmela will write the Time-Step
Emittance data to this plot file.  The Data section includes the
following columns:
  T(deg)        Time step in degrees
  Z(cm)         Reference particle position
  Xun(mm-mrad)  Un-normalized rms X-Xp emittance
  Yun(mm-mrad)  Un-normalized rms Y-Yp emittance
  Zun(mm-mrad)  Un-normalized rms Z-Zp emittance
  Xn(mm-mrad)   Normalized rms X-Xp emittance
  Yn(mm-mrad)   Normalized rms Y-Yp emittance
  Zn(mm-mrad)   Normalized rms Z-Zp emittance
  Xrms(mm)      Rms beam size in X direction
  Yrms(mm)      Rms beam size in Y direction
  Zrmz(mm)      Rms beam size in Z direction
  <kE>(MeV)     Average energy
  Del-Erms      Rms energy spread

Parmela now does more checking of allocatable arrays.  If too many
particles are requested, the code should now fail with an appropriate
error message.  However, there appears to be a bug in either the
compiler LF90 or in Windows NT4 (and, if so, also in Windows XP) when
allocating large arrays.  With 1 Gbyte of memory available, Parmela will
run with 2.1 x 10^6 particles but it fails with 2.2 x 10^6 particles.

We fixed a problem in Parmela with the element ROTATE when used at z=0.

Version 6.24 of Poisson Superfish (also released on July 15, 2002) fixed
a bug in the postprocessor SF7 related to field maps generated for
program Parmela.  In March 2000, when we removed the restriction of 60
steps in X and 10 steps in Y for Parmela field maps, the new format only
applied to cases run from the pop-up dialog window.  Now maps of
arbitrary size can also be created using an input file.

Batch files and input files for some of the examples have been updated
to conform with recent changes in file naming conventions in Poisson
Superfish version 6.24.



May 21, 2002, Parmela Version 3.24

Corrected a bug in the 3D space-charge calculation of the image charge.

Added a warning message when using same cell ID number with different
cell parameters.

Added a warning message when reading a field map to a cell ID number
that has already be initialized.



May 1, 2002, Parmela Version 3.23

Parmela can now read multiple particle distribution files when it
encounters an INPUT 30 line.  The LANL.INI statement "Part_In_Dst =
@filename" refers to a file that lists multiple particle-distribution
files.

We fixed several bugs involving the new features added in versions 3.2x.
The number of 2D field maps is now unlimited.  Parmela now pre-scans the
input type 30 input distribution file to count the number of particles.


March 4, 2002, Parmela Version 3.22

RF 3-D field maps now have some checking of consistency between electric
and magnetic fields.  All restrictions on size of 2D and 3D field maps
have been eliminated.  Maps of different dimension can now be used.


February 25, 2002, Parmela Version 3.21

If keyword DosErrorLevel = Yes in the [Parmela] section of file
LANL.INI, then the pop-up stop message will not appear when Parmela
ends.  For normal termination Parmela sets the DOS error level to zero.
If an error has occurred the error level is nonzero.

We fixed a bug introduced in version 3.15 that prevented the code from
reading multiple 3-D field maps with the CFIELD line.

A beta version of the coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) calculation
is now available for use with SCHEFF and SPCH3D.  Insert keyword CSR_ON
in the Parmela input file to enable the calculation for BEND elements
and DRIFT elements following a BEND.


February 20, 2002, Parmela Version 3.20

This release of Parmela includes substantial upgrades, which warrants
incrementing the version number to 3.20.

Parmela now reads 3D magnetostatic and electrostatic field maps.  An
input file can use multiple field maps, both 2D and 3D.

Parmela now scans the input file for size and dimension information.
Thus, keyword MaxParticles is no longer needed in file LANL.INI.  The
code counts the number of particles specified by all the INPUT lines and
then allocates large enough arrays.


December 20, 2001, Parmela Version 3.16

Fixed a bug in the Bend routine introduced in version 3.15. This bug
prevented the beam from advancing in Bend routine.


December 6, 2001, Parmela Version 3.15

We added the ability to read 3-D field maps with the CFIELD line.

The Parmela installation includes a new utility program called ThreeDin
in directory LANL\DeveloperFiles\Parmela.  File ThreeDin.EXE is an
executable code that reads a file generated by MatLab and writes a
binary file readable by the CFIELD line in Parmela.  File ThreeDin.FOR
is the self-documented source code for this utility program.  The user
can modify the code to read 3-D fields in other formats as needed.  The
CFIELD line includes a new input parameter to indicate a 3-D field map.

The ZOUT line now has new optional parameters to create RF field plots
for CELL, DTCELL, and TRWAVE elements.  This feature replaces the
parameters on the TRWAVE line that generated RF field plots for program
TRWBEAD.  The new file format of the field plots is not compatible with
TRWBEAD, which we have retired.  Instead, program Tablplot plots the
field.  (Documentation for Tablplot is include in the Poisson Superfish
distribution.)  Parameters 14-18 on the TRWAVE line can still be used to
generate RF field plots, but Parmela will writes a warning message
indicating the files are Tablplot input files (with extension .TBL).

In Pargraf 3.15, we fixed a problem with the phase range when SLICE
option is used with SUBNUM 7.  If the phase range was smaller than the
pulse length, the code overlapped the particles so they all fit in the
specified phase range.  The code now ignores particles outside the
specified phase range when the SLICE option is on.

The SUBNUM 8 line includes two more choices for the quantity to plot.
Choice 11 plots the x and y rms emittance of all particles, and Choice
12 plots the z rms emittance of all particles.


November 15, 2001, Parmela Version 3.14

The 3-D space-charge routine SPCH3D no longer attempts to allocate more
memory than is available when the beam particles become extremely
relativistic.  SPCH3D also has an improved method for adjusting the
number of mesh increments in the three spatial directions.

Added printout of the quantity delta(kE)/kE in the PARGRAF output text
file.

The ADJUST line can be used to adjust the phase of TRWAVE elements as
well as CELL and DTCELL elements.

PARGRAF SUBNUM 8; 2 new types added:

    type 11= x and y rms emittance of all particles
    type 12= z rms emittance of all particles


October 30, 2001, Parmela Version 3.13

The SPCH3D routine was changed so that high-energy electrons are still
treated correctly by the 3d space-charge routine.  The aspect ratio of
the 3d mesh must remain less than 2 even at very high values of gamma.
This version increases the number of mesh intervals in the z direction
in proportional to gamma, which will increase execution time.

The RdTape2.FOR subroutine in the DeveloperFiles\Parmela directory has
been updated.

The INPUT type 30 line includes new optional parameters to limit the
range of phase and energy to use in calculating average longitudinal
coordinates for the reference particle.  As an alternative, the user can
instruct the code to use particle 1 of the supplied distribution as the
reference particle.  Also, as an option, the code will write a text file
of the input distribution coordinates.

The CHOPPER element has new optional parameters to define the minimum
and maximum kinetic energy of particles passing the chopper.


July 1, 2001

We have discontinued support of Parmela Version 2.  The installation
files for version 2 are no longer accessible by FTP.

MK_LAINI is a new utility program that creates a new copy of the
LANL.INI file.  The installation program Setup.EXE runs this code to
update or create file LANL.INI (including special copies in some of the
Examples subdirectories).  The user can run MK_LAINI to restore default
settings or generate a new copy of LANL.INI in any specified directory.


May 2, 2001, Parmela Version 3.12

The Drift routine in Parmela was modified to accelerate charged
particles with zero velocity in the presence of a static electric field.


March 22, 2001, Parmela Version 3.11

Changed the auto-sizing algorithm in the 3D space-charge (SPCH3D line)
to maintain the aspect ratio of the 3D mesh less than 2 near the photo
cathode.  The SPCH3D routine must keep the aspect ratio less than 3,
and preferable less than 2, for accurate space charge calculations.


February 23, 2001, Parmela Version 3.10

Pargraf now writes in the PARGRAF output text file time-step emittance
and beam-size information with the SUBNUM 5 option. The time-step
emittance is calculated in the rotating frame of reference in the
presence of a background solenoidal magnetic field (same as SUBNUM 7).

The nominal 90% emittance calculation for one column of the PARGRAF
output can be changed with the variable EmittPer in the [PARGRAF]
section of file LANL.INI.  For example, the setting EmittPer=99.9 tells
PARGRAF to calculate the emittance that includes 99.9% of the particles
for that column.

We have added a discussion in the PARGRAF documentation of the types of
emittance tables available using SUBNUM 7.


February 14, 2001, Parmela Version 3.09

We fixed a bug introduced in Version 3.08 with the change that generates
multiple TAPE2 files when a single file would exceed 2.097 Gbyte.


February 12, 2001, Parmela, Version 3.08

Changed the "OUTPUT 1" option to add a text file dump of the time-step
coordinate data.  Parmela writes this data to the file specified by
variable TimeStepOutName in the [Parmela] section of LANL.INI. The
default name is "TAPE3".

The limit on file size is 2.097 GByte.  Previous version of Parmela
would crash when the TAPE2 file exceeded this limit.  If necessary,
Parmela now writes multiple (up to ten) TAPE2 files.  Pargraf also
recognizes these files.  The letters "a" through "i" will be appended to
these extra TAPE2 filenames.

For input types 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8 the sign of alpha(z) (Twiss parameter)
now uses the same convention as programs PARMILA and TRACE3D.

There are two new LANL.INI control variables for Pargraf.  Variables
"MaxColors" and "NumPartThreshold" in the [Pargraf] section of LANL.INI
control colors for particle densities.  MaxColors, the number of colors,
has a default value of 5 and a maximum value of 14.  If the number of
particles exceeds NumPartThreshold, then Pargraf plots points using
multiple colors.  Otherwise, only a single color is plotted.  The
default value of NumPartThreshold is 5000.

For SUBNUM 8 and 9 plots, Pargraf uses MaxColors to show particle
density regardless of the number of particles (i.e., the code ignores
the NumPartThreshold setting for these two graphs).


January, 2001, Parmela, Version 3.07

The maximum line length in the Parmela input file has been increased
from 80 characters to 300 characters.

Superfish field input files must be generated with Rmin equal to zero.
If Parmela reads a Superfish field file (*.t7) that includes a CFIELD
line and detects that Rmin is not zero, then Parmela will stop.


December, 2000, Parmela, Version 3.06

Pargraf no longer increases memory usage at every new screen.


December, 2000, Parmela, Version 3.05

We modified INPUT Types 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8 to accept Twiss or Courant-
Snyder parameters for the longitudinal beam distribution.  Previously,
the longitudinal phase-space ellipse could only be specified by phase
and energy widths, which always results in an upright ellipse.  This
change adds an additional entry on some of the INPUT lines.  If older
uses of these INPUT types used the optional displacement entries at the
end of the line, then the Parmela input files containing these INPUT
Types will require modification.

In Pargraf, we modified the output text file to report lab-frame
emittance values.  The units of the lab emittance and the Twiss
parameters are in Parmela input units (unnormalized for both transverse
and longitudinal phase planes):  Emittance, cm-radian; and Twiss
parameter Beta, cm/radian.



November, 2000

Parmela Version 3 is now available to all registered Parmela users.
Version 2 will remain available for a short time during which we will
fix reported bugs. New features will be added only to Parmela Version 3.
Both installations use an InstallShield Setup program and both require
that you download a new copy of file Parmela.RGR from the Register
directory assigned to your institution.

Following is a list of new features in programs Parmela and Pargraf.

Parmela
-Unlimited number of particles.
-3D space-charge routine.
-Unlimited number of cell types.
-Unlimited number of elements.
-Unlimited number of mesh intervals in cell fields maps.
-Unlimited number of traveling-wave accelerators.
-Cell field maps in traveling-wave accelerators.
-Drift-tube-linac cell; rf field maps overlap quadrupole fields.

PARGRAF
-Higher resolution graphics in Windows.
-Mouse control.
-Pull-down menus.
-More hard copy options.
-More information in the output file.
-Display the previous screen (Back up).
-Skip current SUBNUM series.
-Slice emittance calculations.
-LANL.INI file controls some initial display options
 (Background, Movie, Slice).


Parmela, Version 3.04

Corrected a problem that occurred when step size was larger than
abs(ZLimit).  When the step size was large enough that the reference
particle moved a larger distance than ZLimit, good particles could be
removed or ignored.


Parmela, Version 3.03

Corrected bug introduced into Version 3.01 and 3.02
Poisson magnetic field maps were disabled.


Parmela, Version 3.02

Problem with extreme relativistic particles (~150 MeV electrons) using
SPCH3D associated with the beam expansion in rest frame along the
z direction. The aspect ratio of the mesh was becoming too large.
The beam expands in the z direction by the factor gamma. But the number
of mesh intervals was based on the beam in the lab frame. By increasing
the number of mesh intervals in the z direction by roughly a factor of
the square root (gamma) the problem of anomalous emittance growth was
reduced. This may continue to be a problem at high energy.

Parmela, version 3.01.

New in version 3.01 is the DTCELL element, which consists of an rf gap
and magnetic quadrupole fields. In a drift-tube linac (DTL) cell, the
electric fields overlap the quadrupole fields.

In Parmela, we fixed a problem in the space-charge routine SCHEFF that
occurred when the START line specified zero calls to SCHEFF.  If a later
RESTART or CONTINUE line specified calls to SCHEFF, some arrays were not
initialized and could cause a crash.


October, 2000

In Parmela, version 3.00, we added the ability to generate arbitrary
radial current profiles using INPUT type 9.

Also in Parmela, version 3.00, we fixed a problem with calculating
record size for file TAPE2 for 10,000 particles in the simulation.



July, 2000

Parmela, version 3.00 is available to selected beta testers.  This
version is compiled under Lahey Fortran's LF90 compiler plus the
Winteracter package from Interactive Software Services, Ltd.

In version 3, program PARGRAF is a Windows program with the following
new features:
 - Better resolution under Windows.
 - More hardcopy options.
 - Slice emittance calculations.
 - "Skip" function.
 - Pop-up menus.

Parmela includes the fast PIC 3D space charge routine written by Robert
Ryne.

The mesh size for electromagnetic fields can be made arbitrarily fine.

Parmela now can read electromagnetic fields for TRWAVE cells.

In Parmela, the maximum number of particles is now a user-controlled
setting defined by the MaxParticles entry in file LANL.INI.  The default
value is 50,000.

The maximum number of different cells types can now be specified on the
first CELL or TRWAVE line for each kind of cell.  The default maximum
number of cells is 10.

The maximum number of elements can now be specified on the RUN line. The
default number is 1000.

The file name for INPUT Type 30 can be specified in file LANL.INI.  An
INPUT Type 30 line reads the particle distribution written by PARMILA or
PARMTEQM.


January, 2000

A new "quiet start" option has been added to INPUT-line Type 9
distributions.

The SCHEFF space-charge routine in Parmela no longer limits the mesh
dimensions.  The only practical limits on the space-charge mesh size are
now the computer's available memory and computation time.

We added a new option to the Parmela space-charge calculation. By
setting RingOption = 7 on the SCHEFF line, the user can select equal
volume mesh rings and automatic radial mesh size adjustments.

A change has been made in the Parmela space-charge calculation with
RingOption = 4, 5, and 7 on the SCHEFF line.  The mesh will remain
centered on the cathode until the reference particle has advanced to 1/4
the length of the mesh from the cathode.

In Parmela, space-charge fields are now calculated at the mesh corners
and interpolated from these points until the relativistic gamma is
greater than 5.  When gamma is greater then 5 the fields are calculated
at the longitudinal centers of the mesh rings and interpolated from these
points.

In PARGRAF, numbers will no longer run together in the file OUTGRAF.

A new parameter "PrompForOptions" has been added to the LANL.INI file
for use by program PARGRAF.


December, 1997

We fixed a bug in Parmela that affected simulations involving multiply
charged ions.  The BEND element and the drift portion of the SOLENOID
element were computing the forces on particles incorrectly.  This bug
did not affect simulations with singly charged particles of either sign,
nor did it affect any other beam-line elements.


November, 1997

The CATHODE line has a new parameter to specify a temperature in eV.
This feature can be used to give the beam emerging from the cathode a
nonzero emittance.

New example files are available in the E_DEMO\TRWAVE subdirectory that
show how to use a CELL line to simulate the fringe field at the entrance
of a traveling-wave accelerator.

The new CHARGE keyword in Parmela sets the particle type and the charge
state of particles that are added to the beam by subsequent INPUT lines.
Charge states between -127 and +127 (including zero) are supported.
The particle type refers to the particle's rest-mass energy set on the
RUN line.  The following keywords are no longer used: INPUTP, INPUT2,
INPUT2P, INPUT3, and INPUT3P.

The new STRIPPER element can be used to change the charge state of beam
particles.

We were able to fix several typographical errors in the Parmela
documentation because of the careful reading by Greg Le Sage at Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory.  The most important errors were the
missing square root operation in the formulas for computing the RMS
emittance.


October, 1997

We have reorganized the example files for Parmela in the LANL\E_DEMO
directory and its subdirectories.  Information previously found in file
READ.ME in the E_DEMO directory has been incorporated into the
documentation file Parmela.DOC.

The file Parmela.DOC includes new documentation on computing the Fourier
coefficients for CELL elements and TRWAVE elements in Parmela.  The code
distribution also includes two new sets of example files for generating
Fourier coefficients.  One example is for a 1300-MHz coupled-cavity
linac problem for which the code EFLD computes Fourier coefficients for
the CELL line in Parmela.  The other example is for a traveling-wave
structure at 3 GHz, operating in the 2pi/3 mode.  The code EFLDTR
computes Fourier coefficients for the TRWAVE line for this problem.

The two programs EFLD and EFLDTR that generate Fourier coefficients for
CELL and TRWAVE lines in Parmela have been upgraded with more
descriptive program prompts and error messages.  These codes now also
use double precision (8-byte real) for more accurate results.


August, 1997

The registration file Parmela.RGR and its location on the FTP server
has changed.  All registration files are now in subdirectories of the
REGISTER directory.  Each subdirectory has the same name it had when
it was under the Parmela directory.  When downloading an updated set of
installation files for the first time after August 8, 1997, also get a
new copy of file Parmela.RGR from the REGISTER subdirectory assigned to
your institution.

The screen output for the SUBNUM 3 option in PARGRAF has been modified.
The plot of phase versus energy has been replaced by a plot of y-prime
versus y.  Both plots of x-prime versus x and y-prime versus y generated
at each element specified by a given OUTPUT line always correspond to
the same longitudinal position. These plots display the phase space
distribution of the particles that have survived to the current element,
but the display corresponds to the coordinates that the particles had at
the location of the first element selected for the Graphtype 3 displays.
This type of plot is useful for determining the transverse acceptance of
an accelerator or beam line.


May, 1997

The line parser in Parmela now allows tab characters in input files.  In
previous versions, tabs were not treated as blank characters and caused
an error.


March, 1997

We fixed an error in the strength of the electrostatic quadrupole term
in Parmela.  Previously, this term was too weak by a factor of 2.  This
change will require changing old input files to Parmela that use the
ESQUAD line.  The value of V on the ESQUAD line must be reduced by a
factor of 2 for the same strength as before.

Parmela has been upgraded to use double precision numbers everywhere,
except when writing data for graphics displays.  Earlier versions of the
code used single precision numbers for the particle coordinates to save
memory.  The upgrade fixes a problem reported by a user who saw
unexpected growth of the longitudinal emittance through bend elements.
The source code in file RDTAPE2.FOR has been modified to read the new
format of Parmela's binary output files.


February, 1997

We fixed a divide-by-zero error that would sometimes crash program
PARGRAF upon exiting the code.

We corrected some errors in the documentation for the example of how to
simulate a BEND element with output at multiple locations.


January, 1997

Parmela now allocates arrays for input data from the EGUN program.
Thus, there is now no practical limit to the number of lines.
Previously, the code could only read 100 lines from the EGUN data file.

We fixed a problem in Parmela that affects input files that include two
or more TRWAVE sections that have different numbers of cells.  When the
cell parameters for a second or later TRWAVE element are not specified,
the code will now pick up the cell parameters from the previous TRWAVE
element and use them for all cells of the later TRWAVE element.  In the
past, if a TRWAVE element had more cells than the earlier one, the code
did not define the properties for cell numbers higher than the last cell
number in the earlier TRWAVE element.


October, 1996

We fixed a bug in PARGRAF that caused the code to loose track of the
particle identification numbers that it needed to generate phase-space
plots for the GraphType 3 option.  The bug was introduced inadvertently
in September, 1996 when we added the multiple-ion specie capabilities.


September, 1996

We continue to work on improving the Parmela on-line documentation by
applying to it some of the same modifications used in the Poisson
Superfish documentation.  The manual now uses an outline-like structure.
Figures have captions and tables have titles.  The caption and title
numbers include the major section and a sequence number (as in Table
III-5).  Tables now have borders for better readability of the printed
copy.

Microsoft has released a new version of the Internet Assistant for Word,
in which hyperlinks to bookmarks in other files actually work.  We have
updated all the hyperlinks in the Parmela and the Poisson Superfish
documentation to take advantage of this feature.  We have added and
continue to add more of these links.  Our FTP server includes copies of
the new Internet Assistant for both Word 6 and Word 7.  We recommend
that users get the Internet Assistant files directly from Microsoft, if
possible, to be sure of getting the latest release.

For users without Microsoft Word, Microsoft has released a new version
of Word Viewer.  Our FTP server includes copies of Word Viewer for both
16-bit and 32-bit operating systems.  The 32-bit version works in
conjunction with your Web browser so that the hyperlinks among files are
functional.  Section I.D.2 in the Parmela documentation discusses our
experience with the new version.  We recommend that users get the Word
Viewer files directly from Microsoft, if possible, to be sure of getting
the latest release.

Parmela has new capabilities that allow simulation of ion beams in
low-energy beam-transport lines.  The beam can include up to three
species of charged particles.  For example, the code can simultaneously
transport atomic and molecular hydrogen ions as well as electrons.

The new SPECIAL line provides a way to specify a center for the space-
charge mesh that is different from the default value, which is centered
on and moving with the reference particle.  You also can specify the
relativistic gamma of the space-charge mesh.

You can use the SPECIAL line to restrict which particles the code
includes in phase-space plots and other formats produced from the output
buffers. This feature can help eliminate end effects from the results of
a simulation.  For example, simulation of a DC beam in the low-energy
transport line to an rf accelerator will require additional beam
particles before and after the region of interest.  The DC beam might
span many rf periods of the accelerator.

Parmela can use two different ways to simulate the space-charge
neutralization of a propagating ion beam.  Both methods can be used
during the same simulation, but not simultaneously in the same physical
region.  In the injection method, the code injects new particles into the
beam at the current locations of certain subsets of the primary beam
particles.  In the assumed-neutralization method, you simply define the
extent of the space-charge neutralization that has already occurred by
some unspecified mechanism.

Parmela allows a time adjustment for different mass particles in a DC
beam.  The code applies this correction to particles added to the beam
with the new INPUT2 or INPUT2P lines.  Use of this time adjustment
allows these particles to keep up with the primary beam particles.
Without the adjustment, a simulation of multiple ion species of
different masses would not be feasible with limited computer resources.

The new RFQOUT line writes particle coordinates to files readable by
beam-dynamics programs PARMTEQ, PARMTEQM, and PARMILA.


July, 1996

Though not a code problem, we believe we may have discovered why some
users occasionally have trouble connecting to one of our FTP servers.
A user in Germany reported that the name PC-AOT-1.ATDIV.LANL.GOV was
being resolved to an IP address different from 128.165.32.190.  The
different address was actually one of two IP addresses that PC-AOT-1
reserves for dynamic assignment to local dial-in clients.  We found that
three different IP addresses were assigned the same name in the domain-
name server (DNS) look-up tables.  We have now changed these assignments
so that PC-AOT-1.ATDIV.LANL.GOV will always point to 128.165.32.190.


May, 1996

The on-line documentation for Parmela has been assigned Los Alamos
National Laboratory report number LA-UR-96-1835.


February, 1996

The first release of our new on-line documentation for Parmela is now
available in file Parmela.DOC when you install the latest version of the
codes.  The format is a Microsoft Word file similar to the documentation
already available for Poisson and Superfish.  These files contain a
detailed table of contents as well as hypertext links.  Users who do not
use Word can use Microsoft's Word Viewer, a free utility distributed by
Microsoft.  Directory WORDVIEW contains two versions of Word Viewer.
See the _README.WV file in the WORDVIEW directory for more information.
Hypertext links between files are functional only if you have installed
the Internet Assistant for Microsoft Word, which is available free from
Microsoft.

The installation for Parmela no longer includes the LANLHELP and
DOCUMENT programs.  You can discard the following files from your LANL
directory: LANLHELP.EXE, DOCUMENT.EXE TABLES.BIN, and all files with
extension HLP.  If you have not updated your codes since January 15,
1996 these files will be in the LANL\CODES or LANL\HELP directories.
Discard the entire LANL\HELP directory.

Parmela includes the new element ESQUAD for simulating an electrostatic
quadrupole lens.

We fixed a bug in the implementation of the single-bunch beam-loading
calculation for cavities operating at frequencies other than 1300 MHz.
When scaling to other frequencies, the code had been erroneously scaling
the A1 term described under the SBLOAD element in Parmela.DOC.  This
problem did not affect calculations for 1300-MHz accelerators.

We fixed a bug and clarified the documentation about the files BFLD.QKP
and EFLD.QKP.  These files can be produced by Poisson and Pandira when
ParmelaFields = Yes in SF.INI.  The z positions in these plot files are
now calculated correctly.  They were shifted by one grid interval.  This
error affected only the plot files and did not affect the data written
to the PO7 file or PA7 file read by Parmela.


January, 1996

The software installation no longer includes the separate directories
LANL\CODES and LANL\HELP.  Files formerly in these directories are now
installed in the LANL directory.


November, 1995

The codes are now configured to use virtual memory, if needed, and if
there is sufficient disk space for a memory paging file (or swap file).
For the best performance, the codes should fit into the computer's
available RAM.  However, the codes should be able to solve large
problems even on machines with limited memory.  There is additional
discussion of virtual memory issues in the READ.ME file.  Also, the
Installation category in LANLHELP and DOCUMENT contains updated
information on using the CFIG386 utility to reconfigure some Phar Lap
memory manager switches for certain situations.


September, 1995

We added documentation in LANLHELP and DOCUMENT for the CATHODE beam-
line element in Parmela.  The CATHODE line simulates a spherical
cathode.

A minor code modification in the Parmela space charge routine fixes a
problem that would occur with CATHODE elements.  No other beam-line
elements were affected.


May, 1995

The SBLOAD line in Parmela is now available in versions of the code
distributed outside Los Alamos National Laboratory.  This line specifies
parameters for calculating single-bunch beam-loading.

The RUN line in Parmela now includes a seventh parameter called RMASS,
the rest-mass energy of the particles in MeV.  The default value for
RMASS is 0.5110034 MeV, which corresponds to electrons and positrons.

We fixed a bug in Parmela for the calculation of the radial impulse to
particles in traveling wave accelerators.  This bug affected only
problems that used the PINPUT line, which specifies parameters for
positrons.  Electron problems were not affected.


March, 1995

The Parmela directory will now always contain the latest version of the
Parmela and Superfish codes.  Even for Superfish updates, we recommend
that Parmela users download all the files from the Parmela directory
(instead of the 386 or 486 directory).  This will ensure that LANLHELP
and DOCUMENT can display documentation for all your programs.  If your
LANL\CODES directory does not yet contain a copy of Parmela.RGR, then
get file Parmela.RGR from the subdirectory assigned to your institution
the next time you update Parmela.

The maximum number of traveling-wave accelerator tanks allowed in
Parmela has been increased from 3 to 9.

If a Parmela run accelerates simultaneous beams of electrons and
positrons, PARGRAF now displays these particles in different colors.
Electrons are displayed in red and positrons in cyan.

We fixed a bug that sometimes caused PARGRAF to stop with an error when
the operator pressed P or H for either Postscript or HPGL file output.

We have made available for code developers a FORTRAN source file that
can read binary output files written by Parmela.  These output files
have the default names TAPE2 and TAPE3 in Parmela.

The installation program now requests the installation drive.  It no
longer searches all the available drives for enough space.  This change
fixes a problem related to CD-ROM drives that some users reported.

The installation program will save old copies of the initialization
files LANL.INI and SF.INI as LANLINI.000 and SFINI.000 (or higher
numbered extensions, if needed).  You can then transfer customized
settings to the new LANL.INI and SF.INI.


February, 1995

The PHI0 parameter on the TRWAVE lines can differ from the PHI0
parameter on the first line of a TRWAVE tank. The difference represents
a phase error of that cell.

Parmela can now handle simultaneous beams of electrons and positrons.
The new keyword INPUTP sets up parameters for the positron beam.  INPUTP
operates the same way as INPUT, except that the particles have opposite
charge.


January, 1995

You can now type DOCUMENT INDEX to produce the file INDEX.TXT containing
a list of keywords that you can use with DOCUMENT.  The list is arranged
by category and the keywords are in alphabetical order within each
category.


December, 1994

Configuration options, including default filenames, for Parmela and
PARGRAF are now set in the LANL.INI file.  This method replaces the old
Parmela.FIG file.


November, 1994

PARGRAF now supports high-resolution graphics output to HPGL and
PostScript files.  You can read HPGL files into some Windows
applications such as Microsoft Word, where you can edit the line size
and colors of parts of the plot.  The code still supports screen dumps
for which you need third-party software.  Screen dumps have only the
resolution of the current graphics mode.


October, 1994

The POI7.EXE file distributed with earlier versions of Parmela is now
obsolete.  A new setting in the [Poisson] and [Pandira] sections of
SF.INI allows you to generate input files for Parmela.  Set parameter
ParmelaFields=Yes to use this option.


September, 1994

We fixed a user-reported bug related to the INPUT line for Type 0
distributions read from a file.  For distributions written by the code
ISIS, individual particles can have different amounts of charge.
Parmela converts ISIS data to a distribution of equal-charge particles.
A problem occurred when all the particles in the supplied distribution
had zero charge.  Parmela ignored all but the last particle.  Now, in
this situation, Parmela generates a distribution that includes all the
particles in the file.

