The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) is an multi-disciplinary research institute. It was established in 1988 by merging in 1960 established EIR (Eidgenössisches Institut für Reaktorforschung) and in 1968 established SIN (Schweizerisches Institut für Nuklearphysik).
The PSI is a multi-disciplinary research centre for natural sciences and technology. In national and international collaboration with universities, other research institutes and industry, PSI is active in solid state physics, materials sciences, elementary particle physics, life sciences, nuclear and non-nuclear energy research, and energy-related ecology.
It is the largest Swiss national research institute with about 1,200 (year 2004) members of staff, and is the only one of its kind in Switzerland.
Besides numerous (smaller scale) research fields (wind, solar power, biology, chemistry, nano-technology, ...)
the PSI also runs several Particle accelerators. 590MeV Cyclotron, with its 72MeV companion
pre-accelerator, is one of them. At present (2004), it delivers up to 2mA proton beam, which is the world record
for the proton cyclotrons. It drives the Spallation-neutron-source complex. The latest built (in 2001) is
the Synchrotron Light Source (SLS), 2.4GeV electron Storage-ring . It is one of the world's best in elektron beam brilliance and stability.
The proton accelerator is driving the Tumor-therapy medical research project, too. The excelent and promissing results has led to installation of the new, compact Supracondacting proton accelerator
(Project Proscan). It has been developed in a collaboration with
industry. The goal is to provide the hospital-sutable proton-tumor-therapy device.
Research fields
Man and health
Solid-state-material Research with neutrons
Mikro- and Nanotechnology
Particles and Matter
Nuclear Energy and Safety
Energy in general
Myon Spin Spektroskopy
Proton Accelerators
Injektor-1
| Technical Data
|
| Type: | Cyclotron
|
| Magnet: | H-Form
|
| Magnet mass: | 500t
|
| Poll-plates Radius: | 125cm
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| Poll=plates Distance: | 20cm
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| Vakuumchamber Volume: | 20m3
|
| Energy: | Variable
|
Injector 1 is a variable energy cyclotron built by the Dutch company Philips Gloeilampen-Fabrieken. Its one-piece magnet has an azimuthally varying magnetic field for vertical focusing even at relativistic energies. The beam energy goes up to 72 MeV for protons and 120 MeV Z2/A for ions with charge Z and mass number A. Equipped with several ion sources, Injector 1 offers a wide variety of beams ranging from protons and deuterons to light and heavy ions. Polarized beams of protons and deuterons are also available. In 1994 an ECR ion source was installed to extend its ability to accelerate heavy ions.
At present (2004) it is used mainly for low-energy experiments, OPTIS eye tumor therapy, and for the LiSoR experiment in the scope of the future Megapie project.
Injektor-2
The Injector 2 cyclotron has been built to replace the multiparticle variable energy Injector 1. It provides high intensity, high quality beams of 72 MeV protons to be injected into the 590 MeV Ring cyclotron.
The Injector 2 is itself a ring cyclotron, but with 4 sectormagnets and with an extremely low injection energy of 870 keV. The 870 keV beam comes from the Cockcroft-Walton Pre-Injector.
It was put in operation in 1984.
Ring
| Technical Data
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| Type: | Isochronous-Cyclotron
|
| Magnets: | 8
|
| Total Magnet mass: | 2000t
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| Accelerating elements: | 4 (5) Cavities (50MHz)
|
| Energy: | 590MeV
|
The Ring Cyclotron is a separated sector cyclotron with a fixed beam energy of 590 MeV, built by PSI and commissioned in 1974. The 72 MeV beam from either one of two injector cyclotron enters from the back of the cyclotron, is injected into an orbit in the center of the Ring, accelerated over about 220 revolutions and extracted at the full energy.
The design is based on criteria that allow operation at very high beam intensities: an open structure of four large and powerful RF-cavities providing a high acceleration voltage, and a flat-top cavity operating at the third harmonic of the accelerating RF-voltage. The resulting strong, phase-independent energy gain per revolution gives good turn separation and hence beam extraction with low beam losses. This is a mandatory condition for high current operation in a cyclotron.
Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ)
Synchrotron Light Source (SLS)
See also
External link