Projects

The Office of Nuclear Physics supports world-class scientific research at national laboratory and university research facilities located across the United States.  This research requires continuing major investments in equipment and facilities in order to maintain forefront research capabilities.  Listed below are proposed new initiatives and ongoing projects:  

Line Item Projects:  Construction projects with a total estimated cost (TEC) of over $5 Million.

Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA)
Location:  To Be Determined	TPC:  $0.9 - $1.1 Billion (Not Baselined)	Project Status*: CD-0: Approved 2/9/04
Description: The proposed RIA facility will permit studies of nuclei far from stability that promise to improve radically our understanding of atomic nuclei - the cores of all atoms, and the building blocks of the universe.  RIA will allow the U.S. research community to be the world leader in exploring the structure and forces that make up the nucleus of atoms, learning how the elements that make up the world around us originate, learning how energy is generated in stars, testing current theories about the fundamental structure of matter, improving the ability to model the explosions of nuclear weapons, and playing a role in developing new nuclear medicines and techniques.   The scientific program and technical concept of RIA has been thoroughly reviewed by the Department of Energy/National Science Foundation Nuclear Science Advisory Committee, which recommends RIA as its highest priority for new construction in the 2002 Long-Range Plan.  In addition, the Office of Science’s Facilities for the Future of Science, A Twenty Year Outlook, identifies RIA as a near-term rank third priority facility.  This plan, endorsed by Secretary Abraham at his November 10, 2003 press conference, was developed with input from all the relevant stakeholders throughout the physical sciences and outlines the Office of Science’s future scientific initiatives and priorities. The RIA project includes a highly flexible superconducting linear accelerator capable of producing high-power, 400 MeV/nucleon beams of uranium, rare isotope beam production and delivery systems, experimental apparatus, civil construction, and central facilities.   ...more

 

12 GeV Upgrade
Location: Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility	TPC:  $170 - $250 Million (Not Baselined)	Project Status*: CD-0: Approved 3/31/04
Description: The proposed 12 GeV Upgrade will take advantage of recent advances in computing power and will double the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility's (CEBAF's) beam energy from the current operating value of 6 GeV to 12 GeV to provide much more precise data on the structure of protons and neutrons.  Specifically, the upgrade will enable scientists to address one of the great mysteries of modern physics – the mechanism that “confines” quarks together.  New supercomputing studies indicate that force fields called “flux-tubes” may be responsible, and a 12 GeV electron beam is required to excite them, which should lead to the creation of never-before-seen particles.  Jefferson Laboratory is proposing to upgrade the accelerator, construct a new hall and beam-line, and upgrade and/or add new equipment in the existing experimental halls.  The Upgrade has the support of a large and active user community (~1,200 scientists from 29 countries).    The scientific program and technical concept of the 12 GeV Upgrade has been thoroughly reviewed by the Department of Energy/National Science Foundation Nuclear Science Advisory Committee, which recommends the 12 GeV Upgrade as one of its highest priorities in the 2002 Long-Range Plan.  In addition, the Office of Science’s Facilities for the Future of Science, A Twenty Year Outlook, identifies the 12 GeV Upgrade as a near-term rank seventh priority facility.  This plan, endorsed by Secretary Abraham at his November 10, 2003 press conference, was developed with input from all the relevant stakeholders throughout the physical sciences and outlines the Office of Science’s future scientific initiatives and priorities.

 

Major Item of Equipment (MIE):  Capital equipment investments with a TEC greater than $2 million and no civil construction. 

Fundamental Neutron Physics Beam-line (FNPB)
Location: Oak Ridge National Laboratory	TEC:  $8 - $11 Million (Not Baselined)	Project Status*: CD-2 & 3A: Approved 08/26/04
Description: The FNPB directly supports the Nuclear Physics mission and addresses the Office of Science Strategic program goal to understand the structure of nuclear matter, the processes of nuclear astrophysics, and the nature of the cosmos.  The project includes the fabrication of a beam-line that can accommodate a wide variety of individual experiments.  The beam-line will consist of neutron guides, choppers, secondary choppers, shielding, and an external experimental building, along with the necessary utilities, safety, and radiation protection equipment, as well as appropriate ancillary equipment.

 

Gamma Ray Energy Tracking In-beam Nuclear Array
Location: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory	TEC:  $13 - $18 Million (Not Baselined)	Project Status*: CD-1: Approved 2/10/04
Description: The Gamma Ray Energy Tracking In-beam Nuclear Array (GRETINA) detector will represent the next-generation gamma ray instrumentation, rotating among the Nuclear Physics low-energy accelerator facilities, optimizing their scientific productivity.  GRETINA will provide significant gains in sensitivity in addressing several high priority scientific topics highlighted in the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee Long Range Plan, including studying how weak binding and extreme proton-to-neutron asymmetries affect nuclear properties and how the properties of nuclei evolve with changes in excitation energy and angular momentum.  GRETINA will consist of 10 detector modules, each consisting of 3-segmented Ge detectors assembled in a common cryostat with a liquid nitrogen Dewar.

Acronyms: 

* Critical Decision-0, Mission Need; CD-1, Alternative Selection and Cost Range; CD-2, Performance Baseline; CD-3A, Long-lead Procurements; CD-3, Start of Construction; CD-4, Start of Operations or Project Close; TEC, Total Estimated Cost; TPC, Total Project Cost

Last updated 6/03/04.