The magnitude of heavy-ion beam loss at the relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC) and the large hadron collider (LHC) due to Coulomb induced bound-electron–positron production and to Coulomb dissociation of the nucleus is evaluated. With the nominal design parameters, the associated partial beam lifetime of RHIC (assuming four intersection regions) is calculated as 7.7 h and that of LHC (one intersection region) as 5.3 h. © 1996 The American Physical Society.

• Received 29 April 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.54.4233