New equipment for the Neutrons for Science (NFS) experimental area

In 2017, the irradiation station and the sample transfer system have been installed. The vacuum system is now operational. Installation will continue in 2018 with the time-of-flight area beam line and the rotating converter before the summer.

The neutrons for science (NFS) facility is a component of SPIRAL-2, the new facility of GANIL. NFS will open new opportunities for experiments in fundamental research as well as in applied physics. A pulsed neutron beam will be available with a flux up to 2 orders of magnitude higher than those of other existing time-of-flight facilities. In addition to the neutron beam, an irradiation station for neutron-, proton- and deuteron-induced reactions has been developed for cross-section measurements and for the irradiation of electronic devices or biological cells.

The setup, designed and built by engineers from the NPI in Czech Republic was installed in 2017. The beam line with its diagnostics and vacuum system is also operational. Installation will continue in 2018 with the time-of-flight area beam line, built by the IPHC Strasbourg, and later with the rotating converter built by CEA/IRFU.