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Realisation
Partner
The proposal for "An International Accelerator Facility for Beams of Ions and Antiprotons" is based on intense discussions with the users
of GSI, in particular from universities, and with the international communities involved in the various areas of research addressed.
Various national and international committees have assessed the GSI plans for a future facility, amongst others the German
"Wissenschaftsrat" (the highest-ranking Science Advisory Board of the German Government). The proposal received positive evaluations and
strong support by all of these boards. In February 2003 the German Federal Government gave green light for the GSI plans. The German
Government has committed up to 75% of of the cost of construction, the remainder is to be funded by international partners. The new
facility FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) shall be organised as an international research centre.
Civil Construction
The FAIR complex will be constructed to the east of the existing GSI facility. The location was chosen as the existing
accelerator will serve as an injector for FAIR. The architectural plan also incorporates the need to
conform to radiation protection requirements and optimize costs for the buildings and technical facilities. All these considerations
have led to the following concept: The large double ring with a circumference of 1,100 meters will be laid out underground in a ring
tunnel at a maximum depth of 17 meters. Thus the forest in the region of the double ring can be mostly preserved. Other
buildings will be arranged south of the large ring tunnel. Due to the large areas involved, an above-ground solution is more economical.
Construction of the above-ground buildings will require clearing of presumably 20 hectares of forest for which compensating
measures have already been settled.
Safety
Environmental and safety aspects have the highest priority when it comes to both the operation of the existing GSI accelerators and
plans for FAIR. All plans are being worked out by safety experts at GSI and then reviewed by
independent specialists.
When in operation an accelerator produces radiation. Therefore, scientists are prohibited from entering the accelerator tunnel
or the experimental stations. Beyond that, extensive shielding measures prevent radiation from reaching the outside.
Is there any danger in case of a malfunction of the accelerator? No, the accelerator operation can be interrupted at any time.
An accelerator contains no radioactive fuel and no chain reactions take place. Neither the existing GSI accelerators
nor the new project present any danger to the
environment.
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