First Super-FRS Quadrupole installed at FAIR
29.10.2026 |
In late September 2026, the first quadrupole magnet for the Super-FRS (SFRS) was transported to the FAIR site and installed in the Super-FRS target building. The quadrupole doublet was transported from the test stand in the testing hall on the GSI campus to the target building as a heavy-haul shipment.
The 26-metric-ton doublet was transported from the GSI testing hall to the FAIR target building using a heavy-haul truck. During installation—similar to the previously installed target chamber—it was hoisted by a large crane across all three levels of the building. Manufactured in New Zealand, the magnet—over 3 meters long—is one of the largest quadrupole doublets installed at FAIR to date and is the first of six magnet assemblies in the SFRS target area. It will later focus the exotic particles produced in the Super-FRS target.
First Operational Vacuum in the Super-FRS
At the same time, another important milestone was reached: Vacuum tests were successfully completed in the Super-FRS (section “Multiplet 3 – Target Chamber”). A vacuum of 10⁻⁷ mbar was achieved—an excellent value for operation and the first final beam vacuum in the SFRS. With the installation of the first magnet, the gradual completion of the SFRS beamline in the target area is now underway. The goal is to install the beamline quickly and continuously.
The Super-FRS (Super Fragment Separator) is one of FAIR’s central experimental facilities. It serves as a highly effective magnetic separator system designed to filter specific, often very short-lived isotopes from a secondary ion beam and make them available for experiments. The Super-FRS is a key component of FAIR’s NUSTAR (Nuclear Structure, Astrophysics, and Reactions) pillar. It will offer a wide range of opportunities to study extremely neutron- or proton-rich nuclei and thereby answer fundamental questions in nuclear physics and astrophysics. With the ongoing installation of the magnets and the achievement of operational vacuums, the commissioning of this central facility is one step closer. (LW)
