– First concrete, now technology – next step in the accelerators
In a tunnel-like structure 6.5 meters wide, particles will soon race through a tiny 10-centimeter tube, invisible to the naked eye, at nearly the speed of light, as scientists imagine. The new particle accelerator “FAIR” (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) is being built at one of the world’s largest research sites in Darmstadt. After years of construction, technicians from all over the world have begun installing the actual equipment between concrete walls up to one meter thick.
Magnets weighing tons are lowered into the depths
After the shell is completed, Jörg Blaurock, technical director of the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research and “FAIR,” said the equipment, including a ring through which ions, electrically charged atoms, will later race at almost 300,000 kilometers per second, will be gradually lowered, sometimes as deep as 20 meters. Hundreds of magnets will keep these particles on course and contribute to their acceleration. According to Blaurock, the particles will circle the 1.1-kilometer-long ring twice before reaching the laboratories and research facilities, which is about twice the circumference of the Earth.
Expansion of the existing facility
The new accelerator will help research questions related to space and medicine. “We are exploring the universe in the laboratory,” said Yvonne Leifels, head of research at GSI/”FAIR.” It complements an existing, constantly updated facility that has already been used to develop cancer therapies. Leifels mentioned research into the origin of elements, neutron stars with particularly dense material, the innards of planets and the effects of radiation in space in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA).
“FAIR” is an international collaboration
The first experiments are scheduled to begin here in late 2027, and the new 1.1-kilometer-long accelerator ring is scheduled to be completed in late 2028, Blaurock said at the construction site. However, he stressed that the concrete structure for the facility is already completed. “FAIR” is an international collaboration involving several countries, with Germany being the largest contributor and Russia the second largest. Despite Russia’s involvement in the war, Blaurock confirmed that it remains a member and is contributing some of its contributions. The current budget is around 3.3 billion euros, due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, price increases for construction materials and supply chain issues.
More opportunities for science
In the future, more researchers will have the opportunity to conduct experiments with the particle accelerator. While in the past about 1,000 scientists were able to conduct experiments here annually, this number will increase to 3,000. A dedicated data center has been built to process the huge amounts of data. Leifels is confident that “FAIR” will be one of the leading accelerators worldwide when it is completed.
At the heart of the site, engineers are carefully constructing a tracking system for the ions using hundreds of magnets. Despite the complexity and challenges, the site remains a vibrant
