Mass measurement experiments are crucial to new accelerator developmentThe proposed Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA), an ambitious physics facility concept now being designed, is in some ways an outgrowth of the mass-measurement experiments at Argonne. The gas catcher cell that slows nuclei to a near-stop for analysis is a crucial RIA technology. RIA will enable physicists to explore the nature of nuclei—the clusters of particles that occupy the center of every atom—by producing beams of short-lived nuclei 10,000 times more intense than any now available. These beams will provide insight into the origin of the elements and will test current physics models. RIA also holds promise for important applications to medicine, industry and other applied physics research. The RIA concept has been endorsed by the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee and is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s strategic plan. Michigan State University and other institutions are involved with Argonne in the design and prototyping work. Argonne is well positioned to be the host site for RIA, based on the laboratory’s pathbreaking expertise in advanced accelerator technology. |
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