"Unveiling the Secrets of the Birth of the Universe and Life"... Partial Completion of the World's 8th Superconducting Heavy Ion Accelerator

Ministry of Science and ICT - Institute for Basic Science

A panoramic view of the RAON heavy ion accelerator located in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] South Korea has completed the low-energy section of the heavy-ion accelerator (RAON) using superconductivity, ranking eighth in the world. By accelerating atoms and causing collisions, it recreates the universe's 'Big Bang' to study the origins of the universe and the secrets of life. It is also utilized for various purposes such as developing nuclear fusion and waste treatment technologies, and next-generation radioactive pharmaceuticals, laying the foundation for opening a new horizon in Korean nuclear physics.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute for Basic Science Heavy-Ion Accelerator Construction Project Group announced on the 28th that they have completed the installation of the superconducting accelerator device in the low-energy section of RAON, which is being constructed in the Shindong district of Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, and have also passed the licensing inspection (KGS inspection) under the High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act on the 27th.

A heavy-ion accelerator is a research facility that accelerates ions of atoms, excluding light particles such as protons or helium, using a strong electromagnetic field and then collides them with a target to create new isotopes. The superconducting accelerator device is a core facility made of niobium (Nb), a superconductor. It consists of a cryogenic maintenance device that keeps the state at -271℃ using liquid helium as a coolant, and a power control device that supplies electrical energy for heavy-ion acceleration. The low-energy section superconducting accelerator device is connected in a straight line about 100 meters long and accelerates heavy ions such as uranium to speeds exceeding 30,000 km per second (one-tenth the speed of light), representing the most challenging technology in heavy-ion accelerators.

The heavy-ion accelerator collides accelerated atoms to literally recreate the moment the universe was born, that is, the point when the universe, which was just a single point, caused the 'Big Bang' and elements were formed. Specific research areas include ▲the origin of cosmic elements, ▲new nuclear states, ▲searching for quantum chromodynamics fossils in nuclei, ▲mini neutron star creation, ▲neutron star mergers and gravitational waves, ▲phase transitions of strongly interacting matter, ▲search for superheavy stable elements, ▲stellar evolution and explosions, ▲development of safe next-generation nuclear energy, ▲dark matter exploration, ▲secrets of the universe's birth, ▲origins of gamma-ray bursts, ▲nuclear fusion and waste treatment.

The Ministry of Science and ICT explained, "It is significant that the superconducting accelerator device was successfully manufactured and its performance secured purely with domestic technology, marking the eighth achievement worldwide." The superconducting accelerator module was directly designed and manufactured, and its performance was verified at an in-house testing facility, making South Korea the eighth country after the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, China, and Japan.

Appearance of the low-energy accelerator tube of the heavy ion accelerator

The heavy-ion accelerator project involved an investment of about 1.5 trillion won but experienced trial and error, including four revisions of the basic plan due to project delays until the completion of the low-energy section accelerator installation. Initially, when the project started in 2011, the plan was to complete both the low-energy and high-energy sections by 2017, but related research and development and parts manufacturing were delayed, resulting in four plan changes. In particular, the high-energy section's R&D has been delayed, and another plan revision is expected early next year, after which the continuation of the project will be decided based on future developments.

The first beam emission in the low-energy section is scheduled before October next year. Going forward, the beam will be transmitted to various nuclear reaction and nuclear structure research facilities (low-energy experimental devices) and utilized for experiments through commissioning to verify usability. From the end of 2024, stable beams using rare isotope production devices will be provided to researchers. The low-energy experimental devices include KoBRA (Backscattering Spectrometer), NDPS (Nuclear Data Production System), MMS (Mass Measurement System), and CLS (Coaxial Laser Spectroscopy).

Lee Seok-rae, Director of the International Science Business Belt Development Promotion Group, stated, “In the future, considering the research results on the more complex and difficult high-energy accelerator device and the stable operation of the low-energy section comprehensively, we will decide whether to proceed with the high-energy section.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.