Division of accelerators, cryogenics and magnetism

High-intensity high-energy linear accelerators, capable of consistently reaching 1 GeV and several tens of milliamps, find numerous applications in nuclear and particle physics, and in condensed matter physics as well. The interaction of a proton beam, accelerated by a Linac of this kind, with a target, enables the production of particles such as radioactive ions, neutrons, neutrinos or muons. These particles then form secondary beams, which may be used for example in the transmutation of nuclear waste or for studying the structure of various materials.
These future generation accelerators will apply technologies that are the subject of ongoing R&D programmes at SACM, such as the lphi (Injecteur de protons de haute intensité) project for the low energy part, and the programme for 700 MHz superconducting accelerator cavities for the high-energy part. Knowledge and experience gained in these two areas have enabled SACM to play an important role in the Spiral 2 project, a complete linac designed for the study of a large range of exotic nuclei.