Abstract
Based on an idea by Carlo Rubbia, the n TOF facility at CERN has been operating for over 20 years. It is a neutron spallation source, driven by the 20 GeV/c proton beam from the CERN PS accelerator. Neutrons in a very wide energy range (from GeV, down to sub-eV kinetic energy) are generated by a massive Lead spallation target feeding two experimental areas. EAR1, horizonal with respect to the proton beam direction is set at 185 meters from the spallation target. EAR2, on the vertical line from the spallation source, is placed at 20 m. Neutron energies for experiments are selected by the time-of-flight technique (hence the name n TOF), while the long flight paths ensure a very good energy resolution. Over one hundred experiments have been performed by the n TOF Collaboration at CERN, with applications ranging from nuclear astrophysics (synthesis of the heavy elements in stars, big bang nucleosynthesis, nuclear cosmo-chronology), to advanced nuclear technologies (nuclear data for applications, nuclear safety), as well as for basic nuclear science (reaction mechanisms, structure and decay of highly excited compound states). During the planned shutdown of the CERN accelerator complex between 2019 and 2021, the facility went through a substantial upgrade with a new target-moderator assembly, refurbishing of the neutron beam lines and experimental areas. An additional measuring and irradiation station (the NEAR Station) has been envisaged and its capabilities for performing material test studies and new physics opportunities are presently explored. An overview of the facility and of the activities performed at CERN is presented in this contribution, with a particular emphasis on the most relevant experiments for nuclear astrophysics.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 012150 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Physics: Conference Series |
| Volume | 2586 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
| Event | 28th International Nuclear Physics Conference, INPC 2022 - Cape Town, South Africa Duration: 11 Sept 2022 → 16 Sept 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Part of this work has been carried out in the framework of a project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (ERC Consolidator Grant project HYMNS, with grant agreement No. 681740). The authors acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under grants PID2019-104714GB-C21, FPA2017-83946-C2-1-P and FIS2015-71688-ERC.
Funding Information:
Part of this work has been carried out in the framework of a project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (ERC Consolidator Grant project HYMNS, with grant agreement No. 681740). The authors acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under grants PID2019-104714GB-C21, FPA2017-83946-C2-1-P and FIS2015-71688-ERC. In line with the principles that apply to scientific publishing and the CERN policy in matters of scientific publications, the n TOF Collaboration recognises the work of V. Furman and Y. Kopatch (JINR, Russia), who have contributed to the experiment used to obtain the results described in this paper.
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