The Status of the South African National Accelerator Centre

The National Accelerator Centre (NAC) is at present being established around a 200 MeV separated-sector cyclotron and an 8 MeV solid-pole injector cyclotron. The design of the SSC magnets has been finalised and tenders for the manufacture of the magnet steel have recently been received. Detailed designs of the central region of the SSC, the magnet vacuum chambers, main coils and the magnet supports have been made. The general layout of the accelerator vaults and adjacent experimental areas have been frozen. Consultant engineers, architects and quantity surveyors have been appointed and initial planning for the building and services has been completed. Final design of the accelerator building is now under way. Progress on these aspects of the project and its present status are reported.