The Ultra-low energy Storage Ring (USR)

Antiprotons stored and cooled at low energies in a storage ring or at rest in traps are highly desirable for the investigation of a large number of basic questions on fundamental interactions, on the static structure of exotic antiprotonic atomic systems or of (radioactive) nuclei as well as on the time-dependent quantum dynamics of correlated systems.

The QUASAR Group has been leading the development of the USR which shall be installed at the Facility for Low-energy Antiproton and Ion Research (FLAIR) within the GSI future accelerator Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) since 2007.

Sketch of the ultra-low energy storage ring (USR)

The challenges for this project are:

  • Detailed beam dynamics studies for a novel energy-variable electrostatic cooler synchrotron
  • Development of beyond state-of-the-art atomic physics experiments for collision studies with antiprotons and various atomic gas jet targets
  • Design of an ion optics allowing for a combined slow/fast extraction of cooled beams even at lowest energies
  • Development of innovative beam diagnostic methods.

Installed at a next-generation antiproton facility, this combination of a novel experimental facility on one hand and a rich atomic physics program with antiprotons on the other, provides an ideal base for a forefront long-term research program at FAIR. This work was supported by the Helmholtz Association and GSI under contract VH-NG-328 between 2007-2012, the DITANET project under contract 215080 and the Cockcroft Institute core grant. Studies were realized in close collaboration with and strong support from the Max-Planck-Institute for Nuclear Physics.

Currently involved QUASARs

Selected publications

FLAIR

  • FLAIR Letter of Intent‌ (PDF, 2.4 MB)
  • FLAIR Technical Report‌ (PDF, 9.5 MB)
  • E. Widmann, 'Plans for a Next-Generation Low-Energy Antiproton Facility', Phys. Scr. 72 (2005) C51-C56
  • C.P. Welsch, J. Ullrich, 'FLAIR A Facility for Low-Energy Antiproton and Ion Research at GSI', Hyperfine Interactions, Hyperfine Interactions, 172 (1-3) 71-80 (2007)
  • C.P. Welsch, M. Grieser, J. Ullrich, A. Wolf, 'FLAIR Project at GSI', AIP Conf. Proc. 821 (2006), p.85-94.

USR

  • A. Papash, A. Smirnov and C.P. Welsch, 'Nonlinear and long-term beam dynamics in low energy storage rings', Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 16, 060101 (2013)
  • C.P. Welsch, A. I. Papash. O. Gorda, J. Harasimowicz, O. Karamyshev, G. Karamysheva, D. Newton, M. Panniello, M. Putignano, M. R. F. Siggel-King, A. Smirnov, 'Ultra-low energy storage ring at FLAIR', Hyperfine Interact (2012) 213:205–215
  • C.P. Welsch, M. Grieser, J. Ullrich, A. Wolf, 'Layout of the USR at FLAIR', Proc. Europ. Part. Acc. Conf., Edinburgh, Scotland (2006)
  • C.P. Welsch, M. Grieser, J. Ullrich, A. Wolf, 'An ultra-low-energy storage ring at FLAIR', NIM A 546 (2005) 405–417 C.P. Welsch, 'Einblicke in die Dynamik von Quantensystemen', Physik in unserer Zeit, 02/2005, p. 92-96.

Beam instrumentation

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