Transfer map approach to an optical effects of energy degraders on the perfomance of fragment separators.
A second order analytical and an arbitrary order numerical procedure is developed for the computation of transfer maps of energy degraders. The incorporation of the wedges into the optics of fragment separators for next-generation exotic beam facilities, their optical effects, and the optimization of their performance is studied in detail. It is shown how to place and shape the degraders in the system such that aberrations are minimized and resolving powers are maximized.