Grant: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Project

The Advanced Rare Isotope Laboratory (ARIEL) facility is an initiative by 19 Canadian Universities and represents a >M$200 federal and provincial investment into maintaining Canada's world-leading role in exotic isotope science. With ARIEL, TRIUMF is moving into a new era of rare isotope-based research allowing three simultaneous rare isotope beams to be delivered to experiments ranging from nuclear and astrophysics over material and life science to medical and industrial application. Capital funding for a superconducting electron linear accelerator at TRIUMF, known as the e-linac, was approved through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) in June 2010, as the first phase of the Advanced Rare Isotope Laboratory. The accelerator delivered successfully first low power beam in September 2014. With the e-linac, TRIUMF has two high power driver beam accelerators for the production of secondary particles, which are demanding in operation and require the development of advanced systems and expert knowledge in many areas of accelerator sciences. In addition, the beam preparation (charge breeding and beam purification) and post acceleration of rare isotopes require systematic performance improvements. Through ARIEL, TRIUMF has been able to strengthen and extend its expertise in accelerator physics with a focus on three core areas, i.e. 1. Superconducting radiofrequency (SRF), 2. Secondary particle production and ion sources, and 3. Beam Physics. This application is a request to renew NSERC support for UVic graduate students engaged in the strong accelerator physics program at UVic and TRIUMF. The work completed by the students thus far has had a very positive impact on ARIEL and this proposal aims to ensure that ARIEL will take its place as a world-leading radioactive ion beam facility.