Plans for an Advanced Exotic Beam facility in the U.S. Original Research Article

The Office of Science of the Department of Energy is currently considering options for an advanced radioactive beam facility in the U.S. A committee, the Rare Isotope Science Assessment Committee, has been formed under the auspices of the Board of Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies of Science and Engineering with the charge of assessing the importance of and prospects for future research in this field world-wide. There is interest in identifying opportunities for a facility in the U.S. that will complement the capabilities that will exist elsewhere. There is an on-going R&D program sponsored by the DOE to develop the technologies that are essential to both the production of and use of beams of intense exotic beams at next-generation facilities. This paper presents the status of planning and options for such a facility, as well as, progress in the R&D. This program is developing concepts and prototypes for high power superconducting heavy ion linacs for rare isotope production and high power targets, ion sources, fragment separators, gas catchers, and reacceleration technologies that support the delivery of high quality, intense beams of exotic isotopes for research.