Meng WANG

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Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) , Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

The 8th IWND, August 21-25, Taiyuan

Physics Opportunities at�High Intensity Heavy-ion Accelerator Facity (HIAF)

1. General introduction
2. Accelerator innovations and construction
3. Commissioning and first results
4. Summary and perspective

Outline

Nuclear physics frontier:

• Explore the limit of nuclear existence
• Study exotic nuclear structure
• Understand the origin of the elements
• Study the properties of High Energy and Density Matter

Accelerators and use of high intensity heavy-ion beams will be key to solving those questions

FRIB

FAIR

NICA

RIBF

SPIRAL2

General introduction

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High-Intensity Heavy-Ion Accelerator Facility- HIAF

The major national science and technology infrastructure under construction with the support of both central and local governments

The project was proposed and constructed by IMP, CAS

The total budget is 3.0 billion CNY

High-Intensity Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility - HIAF

1. Low energy nuclear structure terminal
2. High energy experimental terminal
3. High energy fragment separator HIRIBL
4. High precision spectrometer ring SRing
5. Electron ion recombination terminal
6. Radioactive ion beam physics terminal

Experimental terminals

The whole layout: accelerator components and experimental terminals

General introduction

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General introduction

High current low energy CW and the highest intensity high energy pulse

Features:

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Huizhou

HIAF, CiADS Facilities

IMP/Huizhou Branch

Shenzhen

the Greater Bay Area (GBA)

惠东县

Lanzhou

Where is HIAF?

Located in Huizhou of Guangdong Province, strategically positioned near Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Guangzhou

General introduction

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1. General introduction
2. Accelerator innovations and construction
3. Commissioning and first results
4. Summary and perspective

Outline

Courtesy of Prof. Jiancheng YANG

High intensity ion beam

BRing

SECR

iLinac

HIRIBL

SRing

High current superconducting linac -1emA U³⁵⁺

Novel dual-plane painting injection scheme - 2.0×10¹¹ ppp

Fast ramping rate - 24T/s

High repetition frequency - 3-5Hz

34 Tm

0.8 GeV/u (²³⁸U³⁵⁺)

²³⁸U⁹²⁺

Stripper

²³⁸U³⁵⁺

How to achieve the unprecedented heavy ion intensity

1×10¹²ppp (²³⁸U⁹²⁺)

Stacking longitudinally from BRing to SRing

3-5 times barrier bucket technology

Fourth generation high current ion source –

1.7 emA U³⁵⁺

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2

3

4

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Breakthrough 1: Unique Configuration and Scheme

The world's first large-scale accelerator facility to integrate a superconducting iLinac, a fast-cycling synchrotron, and a cascade storage-ring complex.

• Provides full-ion species from hydrogen to uranium—including stable ions, radioactive beams, and cooled beams
• Delivers heavy-ion beam with highest pulsed intensity, together with the most precise mass spectrometer ring
• Flexible multi-mode operation (beam splitting parallel experiments, fast/slow extraction), effectively extends beam time for users�

Breakthrough 2: Innovation Across the Full Accelerator Chain

• Innovation-1: Beam generation, pre acceleration and fast-ramping acceleration

BRing

iLinac

SECR

SRing

4^th generation SC

ECR source

mA level heavy ion beam

38kA/s, 3Hz

70kV, 35 kV/m

0.3 mm, <7×10^-12 mbar

1~2×10¹¹ ppp U³⁵⁺

1 emA U³⁵⁺

>1.7 emA U³⁵⁺

~1×10¹² ppp U⁹²⁺

Fast ramping rate acceleration

12T/s

World-leading heavy-ion beam intensity: 10¹¹-10¹² ppp

Comparison

• Innovation-2: Beam injection and accumulation

Multi-turn injection

Gain ~10

Two plane painting

Gain 60~100

Breakthrough 2: Innovation Across the Full Accelerator Chain

• Innovation-3: Beam dynamic and control platform

Dynamic control performance is enhanced by 20 times

High accuracy

high intensity beam simulation platform CISP

Innovative

high-speed protocol CV-Link & data access LA-DB

High reliability

distributed intelligent control system LACCS

The entire chain guarantees the security of data for the accelerator's large scientific facility and core research experiments, with high performance

1:1 end-to-end multi-dynamics coupling simulations

26 patents and software copyrights

Breakthrough 2: Innovation Across the Full Accelerator Chain

Breakthrough 3: High-quality Construction Process

The standardized design of non-standard equipment is rapidly iterated

Three-dimensional virtual visualization of assembly optimization processes

Digital-driven modular prefabrication boosts efficiency

Full-chain data sharing for dynamic decision-making

Achieve a End-to-End Digital closed loop

Create new models for engineering construction

Design

Manufacture

Installation

Management

Digital Twins for high-quality and efficient construction of large scale scientific project

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Project Construction

Occupies 80 acres, total construction area 58,000 m²,

Testing&Assembly hall

SRing building

Cryo center

BRing building

Linac building

Central control building

Civil construction

10 above-ground building and a 2-kilometer-long underground tunnel at a depth of 13 meters

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The period for a 2-kilometer beam line has been shortened from 2-3 years to 8 months

Ion Sources

Tunnel installation

Full Digital Instruction

Project Construction

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HIAF: China's Next-generation Heavy-ion Accelerator Facility

Civil construction began

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First key equipment

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Key prototype

Equipment bidding

Testing

Auxiliary system

Installation

Offline commissioning

Batch processing

• Start beam commissioning and achieve design parameters @2025.11
• Pass technological acceptance review and start trial operation @2026.7.21

To establish a world-class, internationally leading facility for high-intensity heavy-ion beam research

1. General introduction
2. Accelerator innovations and construction
3. Commissioning and first results
4. Summary and perspective

Outline

World-leading performance

• 10¹¹-10¹² ppp

World-leading heavy-ion beam intensity

• 12 T/s

Fastest ramping rate for a heavy-ion synchrotron

• 4.7×10^-12 mbar

Extreme high vacuum performance

• 16 hours

From first beam to commissioning of 2-km beamline

• 10^-8

Precision of short-lived nuclear mass measurement

Evaluation of Review Committee

• HIAF has achieved world-leading performance:
• Both the ¹⁸O⁶⁺ and ²⁰⁹Bi³¹⁺ beam density exceeding design values and setting new world records
• The maximum ion beam energy reaches 4.299 GeV/u (¹⁶O⁸⁺), surpassing its design target.

• Innovations realized on HIAF project: 
• World-first ultra-high vacuum, ultra-thin-walled chamber (0.3 mm, <7×10^-12 mbar)
• Novel full-energy-storage power supply achieves world's fastest ramping rate (12 T/s)
• Advanced control software system enabling a new record for beam commissioning speed (16 hours)
• Integrated digital twin and electromagnetic compatibility system for the entire accelerator

1. Low energy nuclear structure terminal
2. High energy experimental terminal
3. High energy fragment separator HIRIBL
4. High precision spectrometer ring SRing
5. Electron ion recombination terminal
6. Radioactive ion beam physics terminal

Experimental terminals

The whole layout: accelerator components and experimental terminals

Layout of HIAF

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First Scientific Achievement

• Low energy nuclear structure terminal
• First observation of the new isotope ²⁴²Fm (half-life: 4.17 μs)
• Resolves a 50-year international controversy over the existence of ²⁴²Fm

²⁴¹Fm@Dubna

Half life: 800μs

GSI

Half life：N/A

²⁴²Fm@HIAF

Half life: 4.17μs

Response < 1.0 μs

Courtesy of Dr. Huabin YANG

• High energy fragment separator HIRIBL
• First identification of neighboring nuclides of ²⁰⁰Pb produced by ²⁰⁹Bi fragmentation
• Offering key data for heavy-nucleus cross-section predictions.

First Scientific Achievement

Courtesy of Dr. Shitao WANG

• Electron ion recombination terminal
• The only "electron cooling + electron target" experimental platform
• Kr²⁵⁺ DR spectroscopy with energy resolution exceeding CSRe and ESR

First Scientific Achievement

Courtesy of Dr. Weiqiang WEN

• High precision spectrometer ring SRing
• Highest precision achieved for short‑lived nuclei ²⁰²Au  (uncertainty δm/m ~ 10^-8 range)
• The highest precision of isochronous mass measurement

First Scientific Achievement

Courtesy of Dr. Xinliang YAN

Cycle time: 3 secs

~ 623 MeV/u, 1e10 ppp ²⁰⁹Bi³¹⁺

10 mm Graphite target

Bρ(SRing) ~ 6.8479 Tm

E(target ion) ~ 400.54 MeV/u

First Scientific Achievement

• High precision spectrometer ring SRing
• The new nuclide ¹⁵³Hf was discovered for the first time.
• Approximately 35 new nuclear masses were simultaneously determined.

Courtesy of Dr. Xing XU

Evaluation of Review Committee

• HIAF provide excellent beams for several commissioning experiments:
• First discovery of the extremely short-lived new nuclide ²⁴²Fm (half-life: 4.17 μs).
• First observation of isomeric states in the neutron-deficient nuclides ¹⁵⁶Tm and ¹⁵⁸Lu.
• Highest precision of relative mass measurement accuracy of 10^-8 for short-lived nuclei
• Discovery of the new nuclide ¹⁵³Hf, with ~35 new masses measured for the first time in SRing.

• These results demonstrate that HIAF are fully capable of consistently producing high-impact scientific outputs.

Summary and Perspective

• HIAF has successfully achieved its design goals and established world-leading capabilities in high-intensity heavy-ion beams.
• HIAF is ready to serve the global scientific community. And provide a world-class platform for exploring the frontiers of nuclear physics and interdisciplinary research.
• HIAF welcomes researchers from research institutions, universities, and industry partners worldwide to explore the possibilities with us.

https://english.imp.cas.cn/research/facilities/HIAF/

• Beam dynamics study and machine performance improvement
• New techniques implementation for higher intensity
• Reliable and high efficiency operation for Users

Ongoing efforts are focused on

World first class performance for researchers worldwide

Summary and Perspective

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Ready for User Operation and Global Collaboration