The facility

The origins of GANIL

GANIL (Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds) was created, on equal terms, by two research organizations which have collaborated towards its construction and operation: CEA/DSM and CNRS/IN2P3. Its legal form is that of an Economic Interest Group (GIE). The Basse-Normandie region supported this project by way of a substantial contribution to the funding required for its realization. The decision to begin construction was made in August 1975, and the first experiment was carried out in January 1983.

A European dimension, an international impact

Since the very beginning, GANIL has actively participated in European projects in which it cooperates with many laboratories from the European Union and beyond.
GANIL is one of the four largest laboratories in the world dedicated to research using ion beams.
The fields of experimentation range from radiotherapy to the physics of the atom and its nucleus, from condensed matter to astrophysics. In nuclear physics, work at GANIL has led to numerous discoveries related to the atomic nucleus, to its thermal and mechanical properties, and to so-called exotic nuclei, as these do not exist naturally on Earth.

Those who work at GANIL

In addition to its permanent staff of 250 (physicists, engineers, technicians, administrators …) GANIL has 700 visiting scientists, from laboratories located all over the world. Each year, they stay at GANIL in order to prepare and carry out numerous experiments. Some of them come only for a seminar, others stay for several months or even years to work on an experiment.
 

At the cutting edge of research on exotic nuclei

Top level equipment Starting right from its first beams, GANIL has pioneered the study of exotic nuclei. The LISE line became one of the World’s major facilities for the synthesis of new nuclei, and has since been followed in the rest of the world, from the USA to Japan. The ALPHA and SPEG spectrometers have also been modified, enabling them to produce and measure the mass of exotic nuclei.

Eloquent results This field of research, which at that time was just emerging, has turned out to be a gold mine of information. Our knowledge of the atomic nucleus has been profoundly challenged by the results obtained with exotic nuclei, with far-reaching consequences for our understanding of the Cosmos.

A promising future

Today, GANIL is one the four largest laboratories in the world, with its exotic beams and the LISE, LISE 2000 and SPIRAL facilities. Tomorrow, with the commissioning of SPIRAL2, GANIL will take the lead in this area of international competition.
 

SPIRAL2: a European future

The SPIRAL2 facility, which stands for Linearly Accelerated Radioactive Ion Production System  (Système de Production d’Ions Radioactifs Accélérés en Ligne), will provide France and Europe with a real technological and scientific lead. It will place Basse-Normandie in a strong position for the accommodation of the large European project for the manufacture of exotic nuclei: EURISOL. Within the context of the sixth European framework program, GANIL has coordinated the extensive international collaboration efforts needed to define this ambitious common project.