Hessian State Parliament Members explore latest developments at GSI/FAIR
13.03.2025 |
Members of the Hessian Parliament Nina Eisenhardt, Miriam Dahlke and Hildegard Förster-Heldmann recently visited GSI/FAIR to inform themselves about the latest scientific activities and the construction progress of the international accelerator facility FAIR. They were welcomed by Dr. Katharina Stummeyer, Administrative Director of GSI and FAIR, Jörg Blaurock, Technical Director of GSI and FAIR, and Professor Dr. Thomas Nilsson, Scientific Director of GSI and FAIR.
At the beginning, the visitors received a comprehensive presentation on the current research activities as well as on the construction and development progress of FAIR, the milestones already achieved and the further plans for the operation of the upcoming accelerator center.
A tour of the GSI campus then took the guests to some of the main research and infrastructure areas. Among other things, they visited the target laboratory, where wafer-thin films for experiments are produced using various processes. They also visited the experimental area of the Biophysics Department, where, for example, cancer therapy with ion beams has been developed and where research in the fields of space research, therapy and radiation biology continues. The CRYRING experimental storage ring, which is used for precise measurements of atomic, astrophysical and nuclear processes, and the HADES detector, which is used to study heavy ion collisions and matter under extreme conditions such as those that occur inside neutron stars, were also on the program.
Another highlight of the program was a tour of the FAIR construction site, where the guests were able to see at first hand the latest construction developments and the installation of FAIR high-tech accelerator components in the tunnel. They also visited the main supply building, the SIS100 accelerator tunnel located 17 meters underground, the central beamline and transfer building, the building for the CBM experiment and the NUSTAR experimental hall.
The members of the state parliament were very positive about the progress made at GSI/FAIR since their last visit and emphasized the important role of the research center for Hesse as a science hub and for the international research community. They were particularly impressed by the efficient cooperation between the various departments - from infrastructure and research to accelerator technologies. This complex interaction is crucial for the successful operation of a state-of-the-art facility like GSI/FAIR. (JL)
