MISSION NEED STATEMENT
Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA)
SYSTEM POTENTIAL: Major System
SUBMITTED:
December 2003
ORIGINATOR:
Dennis Kovar
Associate Director of the Office of Science
for Nuclear Physics
301-903-3613
CONCURRENCES:
Date:
James C Hawkins
Program Manager
Office of Nuclear Physics
Office of Science
Date:
Dennis Kovar
Associate Director of the Office Science
for Nuclear Physics
Date:
Daniel R. Lehman
Director, Construction Management Support Division
Office of Science
APPROVED:
Date:
Raymond L. Orbach
Director, Office of Science
RIA Mission Need Statement
Submitted: December 2003
MISSION NEED STATEMENT
for the
Rare Isotope Accelerator
Office of Nuclear Physics
Office of Science
SYSTEM POTENTIAL: Major System
A. Statement of Mission Need
The mission of the Nuclear Physics program is to foster fundamental research in nuclear
physics that will provide new insights; advance our knowledge on the nature of matter
and energy; and develop the scientific knowledge, technologies, and trained manpower
that are needed to underpin the Department of Energy’s missions for nuclear-related
national security, energy, and environmental quality.
To accomplish its mission, the Nuclear Physics program proposes to construct the Rare
Isotope Accelerator (RIA) facility that will provide intense beams of rare isotopes (i.e.,
short-lived radioactive nuclei not normally found on earth) for a wide variety of studies in
nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics, and fundamental interactions. RIA will allow the
Nuclear Physics program to achieve its goals in major scientific thrusts of fundamental
nuclear physics research. These major scientific thrusts are identified in five scientific
questions articulated in the Department of Energy/National Science Foundation
(DOE/NSF) Nuclear Science Advisory Committee’s (NSAC) 2002 Long-Range Plan for
Nuclear Science. RIA directly responds to three of the five questions, namely: “What is
the structure of nucleonic matter,” “What is the nuclear microphysics of the universe,”
and “Is there new physics beyond the Standard Model?”
RIA also supports the Department of Energy’s Science Strategic Goal within the
Department’s Strategic Plan dated September 30, 2003: To protect our National and
economic security by providing world-class scientific research capacity and advancing
scientific knowledge. Specifically, RIA supports the two Science strategies: 1. Advance
the fields of high-energy and nuclear physics, including the understanding of … the
structure of nuclear matter in its most extreme conditions… and 7. Provide the Nation’s
science community access to world-class research facilities….
In addition, RIA will support other mission priorities outlined in the Secretary of
Energy’s document, “The Mission and Priorities of the Department” issued October 24,
2001. In particular, the National Nuclear Security Administration within the Department
of Energy has stated it will use RIA for research focused on ensuring the reliability of our
stockpile. Also, it is possible that technology advancements achieved through the
research and development of RIA could, for example, improve the sensitivity of the
equipment used to detect the presence of nuclear materials. If so, this would address
mission priorities such as addressing proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology,
and enhancing homeland defense against new terrorist threats.
RIA Mission Need Statement
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B. Analysis to Support Mission Need
A major goal of modern nuclear physics is to achieve a comprehensive, unified theory of
nuclear structure across the entire landscape of ordinary and exotic nuclei, leading to a
detailed understanding of the processes by which the elements of the periodic table were
generated and dispersed in the cosmos. Present understanding does not yet allow reliable
prediction of the properties of nuclei in the unexplored regimes of nuclei with unusual
ratios of protons to neutrons. Beams of rare isotopes provide the opportunity to study the
properties of individual nuclei in these unknown regimes to answer these basic scientific
questions: (1) How does the atomic nucleus, which is a complex system of protons and
neutrons, derive its properties from the interactions of the individual constituents and
why do such inherently complex systems exhibit many simple features? (2) How are the
heavy elements created in the cosmos and how do nuclear properties influence the
properties of stars? (3) What are the fundamental symmetries of nature as manifested in
these rare isotopes? and (4) What new uses of radioactive isotopes can be developed to
serve society and the nation?
The scientific opportunities afforded by rare isotope beams were realized at least a
decade ago and identified in a number of reports1,2and planning documents3,4 . In the
United States the need for a next generation Isotope-Separation-On-Line (ISOL) facility
was discussed as early as 1991; such a facility was recommended as a priority for
construction in the 1996 NSAC Long Range Plan, and in 1999 a NSAC Taskforce
identified the technical configuration for the proposed RIA.
The National Research Council (NRC), as part of its decadal survey series Physics in a
New Era, examined the entire field of nuclear physics in a year-long study. In the
resulting 1999 NRC report entitled “Nuclear Physics—The Core of Matter, The Fuel of
Stars” the Committee on Nuclear Physics recommended “… the construction of a
dedicated, high-intensity accelerator facility to produce beams of short-lived nuclei.
Such a facility will open up a new frontier in nuclear structure near the limits of nuclear
binding and will strengthen our understanding of nuclear properties relevant to explosive
nucleosynthesis and other aspects of the physics governing the cosmos.”
The DOE/NSF NSAC in its 2002 Long Range Plan: Opportunities in Nuclear Science, A
Long-Range Plan for the Next Decade identified RIA as the United States nuclear science
community’s highest priority for major new construction: “RIA will be the world-leading
facility for research in nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics. The exciting new
opportunities offered by research with rare isotopes are compelling.”
The NRC’s 2003 report, entitled “Connecting Quarks with the Cosmos,” explored the
deep connections among the fields of astronomy, cosmology, nuclear physics and high
1
Nuclear Physics: The Core of Matter, The Fuel of Stars, a report of the National Research Council (1999).
“Final Report of the Working Group on Nuclear Physics,” OECD Megascience Forum (January 11,
1999).
3
“Nuclear Science: A Long Range Plan,” report of the DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee
(February 1996).
4
“Opportunities in Nuclear Science: A Long-Range Plan for the Next Decade,” report to The DOE/NSF
Science Advisory Committee (April 2002).
2
RIA Mission Need Statement
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energy physics and posed the question: “How were the elements from iron to uranium
made?” The capabilities of a RIA facility are needed to answer this question: “While we
have a relatively complete understanding of the origin of elements lighter than iron,
important details in the production of elements from iron to uranium remain a puzzle. A
sequence of rapid neutron captures by nuclei, known as the r-process, is clearly involved.
Almost all the relevant r-process nuclei could be accessible for study in a suitably
designed two-stage accelerator facility (such as RIA) that produces isotopes and reaccelerates them.”
On November 10, 2003, Secretary Abraham outlined the Department of Energy’s vision
for maintaining the global scientific leadership of the United States. Within this vision,
documented in the Office of Science’s Facilities for the Future of Science: A Twenty
Year Outlook, RIA is identified as a near-term rank 3 priority. This plan was developed
with input from all the relevant stakeholders throughout the physical sciences and
outlines the Office of Science’s future scientific initiatives and priorities.
The study of rare isotopes is a diverse field with world-wide interest. Beams of rare
isotopes can be produced by creating short-lived nuclei essentially at rest and then reaccelerating them (ISOL-type) or by collecting the short-lived fragments of a heavy
stable nucleus after hitting a target at high velocity (in-flight fragmentation). The beams
produced allow for different classes of studies. Several first-generation ISOL-type
facilities are currently operating and include the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility
(HRIBF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Isotope Separator On Line (ISOLDE) at
the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland, and the Isotope
Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) at the TRI-University Meson Facility (TRIUMF) in
Canada. Four facilities of the in-flight fragmentation type are operating and they are the
National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University,
the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) in Japan, the Grand
Accelerator National Ions Laboratories (GANIL) in France, and the Gesellschaft für
Schwerionenforschung (GSI) in Germany. See Table 1 for a comparison of rare isotope
facilities.
Upgrades of some of these facilities, in particular at the RIKEN and GSI facilities, are
currently in progress or in the planning stage. The proposed RIA facility uses a powerful
superconducting linear accelerator to provide both ISOL and in-flight capabilities that
advance the state-of-the-art by several orders of magnitude in some cases through a
combination of increased intensities and much wider variety of high-quality rare-isotope
beams. Each of these facilities takes a different approach to the production of rare nuclei
and the resulting physics programs are highly complementary. In its consideration of
facilities in this field, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
Megascience Forum Working Group on Nuclear Physics wrote in its final 1999 Report of
“the importance of radioactive nuclear beam facilities for a broad program of research in
fundamental nuclear physics and astrophysics, as well as applications of nuclear science.”
The Working Group concluded that “several major [Radioactive Nuclear Beams] RNB
facilities are needed,” and that a “new generation of high-intensity RNB facilities of each
of the two basic types, ISOL and In-flight, should be built on a regional basis.”
RIA Mission Need Statement
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Facility
NSCL/MSU
(U.S.A)
Operating
ISAC
(Canada)
Operating
Upgrade: 2006
RIKEN/RIF (Japan)
Under const
Phase I: 2006:
Phase II: 2009
Driver
Beam
Power
(kW)
4
Driver
Beam
Energy
(MeV/u)
200
Driver
Beams
(Atomic
Number)
A ≥ 12
Production
Methods#
In-Flight
Re-accelerated Isotope Recovery
Rare Isotope Rare Isotope (medical, stockpile
Beams
Beams
stewardship)
Proj. Frag.
Yes
No
No
50
500
A=1
Target Spall.,
Target Fission
No
Yes
Yes
No
50†
350
A ≥12
Proj. Frag.,
Proj. Fission
Yes
150> A*
< 6 MeV/u
No
GSI
(Germany)
Proposed
60‡
1500
A ≥12
Proj. Frag.,
Proj. Fission
Yes
No
No
RIA
(U.S.A.)
Proposed
400
400-900
Yes
Yes
Yes
*
†
‡
#
1<A<238 Target Spall.,
Target Fission,
Proj. Frag,,
Proj. Fission
All A
< 10 MeV/u
Production technique applies only to a fraction of the required rare isotopes and is optimum for less than 25% of the required isotopes.
Assumes ~ x40 above state-of-the-art performance in ion sources & stripper technologies. (RIKEN proposal assumes a factor of x80)
Assumes significant improvement in injector performance including ramp rate and vacuum.
Production Methods: Proj. Frag.- projectile fragmentation, Proj. Fission- projectile fission, Target Spall.- target spallation, Target Fission - target
fission
Table 1: Comparison of Rare Isotope Facilities
RIA will permit studies of nuclei far from stability that promise to improve radically our
understanding of atomic nuclei - the cores of all atoms, and the building blocks of the
universe. Many of these nuclei have never before been accessible in the laboratory.
Such studies will advance our theoretical models of nuclei, search for new manifestations
of nuclear behavior, and probe the limits of nuclear existence.
These studies will also have profound impact on nuclear astrophysics, which utilizes
descriptions of the processes of nucleosynthesis to test our understanding of the evolution
of stars and the origins of the elements in our universe. Selected nuclei have properties
that will allow tests of fundamental theories, including the Standard Model of
fundamental particles and interactions. RIA may provide applications of technology to
other disciplines and to practical realms such as electronics, materials science, medicine,
stockpile stewardship of the Nation’s weapons, accelerator-transmutation of waste, and
industrial processing.
C. Importance of Mission Need and Impact if Not Approved
If RIA is not constructed, it is estimated that within the next decade, present United
States facilities and capabilities focused on low energy nuclear physics research will be
fully exploited. Therefore, without RIA, the United States research community will have
limited ability to explore the structure and forces that make up the nucleus of atoms, learn
how the elements that make up the world around us originate, learn how energy is
generated in stars, test current theories about the fundamental structure of matter,
improve the ability to model the explosions of nuclear weapons, play a role in developing
RIA Mission Need Statement
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new nuclear medicines and techniques5 and attract promising students to this area of
nuclear science that supports not only basic research, but also supplies the educated
workforce that is essential to the Department’s weapons program, the nuclear power
industry, and other applications.
Should RIA not be approved, pursuit of the articulated scientific goals of the community
could continue on a limited basis at foreign facilities producing rare isotope beams,
including the facilities at RIKEN and TRIUMF, as well as the planned upgraded facility
at GSI. However, taken in combination, these facilities do not have the complete
scientific reach of RIA to accomplish the envisioned research to meet the Low Energy
Nuclear Physics program mission. For example, beam intensities at these facilities are
lower by a factor of ten or more compared to RIA, high quality re-accelerated beams are
only available (to a limited extent) at TRIUMF, and the facility resources are shared with
other physics thrusts at these Laboratories. In addition, United States researchers would
be competing for scarce beam time, and would be unlikely to have the opportunity to
have a strong leadership role at other facilities.
In summary, there are no existing or planned facilities that can be considered an
alternative that match the enormous discovery potential of this facility. RIA can provide
beams of an unprecedented range of nuclei at unequaled intensities and with a range of
precisely controlled energies. Consequently, beam species, beam energies, and nuclear
reactions can be specifically tailored to the particular scientific question at hand.
D. Constraints and Assumptions
The RIA project includes a highly flexible superconducting linear accelerator capable of
producing high-power, 400 MeV/nucleon beams of uranium, ISOL beam production and
delivery systems, fast beam fragment production and delivery systems, experimental
apparatus, civil construction, and central facilities.
1. Operational Limitations
There are no foreseen operational limitations in regards to effectiveness, capacity,
technology, or organization.
The RIA driver accelerator will be a high-energy, high-intensity linear accelerator
providing primary beams of all elements from protons to uranium. The utilization of
the light beams for isotope production will result in substantial levels of radioactivity
and high radiation fields in certain areas of the facility that will necessitate heavy
shielding and robotic handling in those areas. Radiation damage to components such
as magnets will necessitate careful design to mitigate adverse effects such as frequent
extensive shutdown for repair. The criteria for the operation of high intensity proton
accelerators are well established from years of experience in operating laboratories
such as the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility, the Paul Scherrer Institute in
Switzerland, and TRIUMF, a Canadian nuclear physics accelerator laboratory in
5
One of every three hospitalized patients in the U.S., for example, undergoes a procedure involving nuclear
medicine—spin-offs of earlier government investments in nuclear physics.
RIA Mission Need Statement
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Vancouver, B.C. By the time RIA would become operational, the Spallation Neutron
Source that uses a high-energy, high-intensity linear accelerator will also have
experienced several years of high intensity operation.
The high intensity heavy ion beam operation of RIA has no presently existing
counterpart. Again, radiation damage to accelerator and collector components is an
area that will require careful design to limit damage or provide for rapid and costeffective repair. The exceptional performance of RIA depends on several technical
advances, the main two being multi-charge-state acceleration and the fast fragment
gas catcher. Preliminary studies have shown the viability of both of these
technologies, and research and development are continuing in both areas to
demonstrate the performance required for RIA.
2. Geographic, Organizational, and Environmental Limitations
Geographic, organizational, and environmental limitations are some of the criteria
that will be considered in the final selection of the construction site, contractor, and
operator for RIA. The RIA facility will be a world class scientific user facility that
should be located and operated at a site and in an environment where its potential for
scientific contributions can be optimized. The multi-disciplinary aspects of the
envisioned RIA research program, coupled with the opportunity of RIA to train the
next generation of nuclear physicists and chemists, will be considered in determining
where to locate RIA. It will be a requirement that access to the RIA facility will be
broadly available to the most qualified researchers from universities and laboratories
as determined by a program advisory committee.
3. Standardization and Standards Requirements
The RIA facility will conform to the applicable design, construction, and operational
standards of a facility of this type.
4. Environment, Safety and Health Requirements
At this preliminary stage, it is thought that most of RIA will operate as a Department
of Energy Category 3 facility, though certain areas such as the target, hot cell, and
pre-separator areas would need to be Category 2. Category 3 indicates there is the
potential for significant localized consequences, while Category 2 indicates there is
the potential for significant on-site consequences. Safety, health and environmental
requirements associated with this type of facility will be responsibly and
economically handled by addressing the engineering requirements from the very start
in the facility design.
The Department of Energy will comply with the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementing regulations (10 CFR 1021
and 40 CFR 1500-1508) prior to taking any action on the proposed project that could
have adverse environmental effects or that would limit the choice of reasonable
alternatives. An Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared to evaluate the
RIA Mission Need Statement
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potential environmental consequences of the proposed site, construction, and
operation of RIA.
5. Safeguards and Security Considerations
None of the work performed at RIA will be classified, including the work by the
National Nuclear Security Administration, and no safeguard and security issues are
foreseen during the design, construction, or operation phases. Access to the
accelerator site will be controlled primarily to ensure worker and public safety and for
property protection. Appropriate safeguard and security requirements will be
implemented.
6. Interfaces with Existing and Planned Acquisitions
One of the selection criteria for the site will be to evaluate the advantages and
disadvantages of interfacing with an existing acquisition or constructing the RIA
facility at a new site. No significant issues are anticipated.
7. Affordability Limits on Investments
At this preliminary stage, the total project cost is estimated at $900 million to $1.1
billion. Possible contributions from outside of the Department of Energy should be
well defined by critical decision two (CD-2 – Approve Performance Baseline),
making the determination of the baseline cost, schedule and scope possible. The
expected main source of funding is the Office of Science Nuclear Physics program.
This project will require funding above the current Office of Science out year ‘target’
funding base.
One possible constraint associated with success of the RIA project is achieving the
funds to construct and operate this one-of-a-kind facility. As with all large capital
projects, RIA will be vulnerable to budget and funding variations from the planned
profile. Such multi-year construction projects need to have the planned funding
appropriated each year of the construction project in order to ensure that the project
can be completed on time and within the agreed upon baseline budget.
8. Goals for Limitations on Recurring or Operating Costs
Appropriation of an adequate operational funding level is of great importance to
ensure full utilization of this state-of-the-art facility. The estimated annual
operational cost will total approximately $100 million.
9. Legal and Regulatory Constraints or Requirements
The legal and regulatory requirements to construct this facility will include typical
construction permits. No significant hurdles are anticipated.
RIA Mission Need Statement
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10. Stakeholder Considerations
No significant stakeholder issues are anticipated. The primary stakeholders in this
project are the Low Energy Nuclear Physics scientific user community consisting of
over 1,000 scientists. They have been extensively involved in the planning of this
project, and it is expected that RIA will attract university, national laboratory, and
international users.
11. Limitations Associated with Program Structure, Competition and Contracting,
Streamlining, and Use of Development Prototypes or Demonstrations
The community of scientists and engineers who are capable of designing and building
a facility of this type is relatively modest in size. However, there are believed to be
adequate technical resources available at Department of Energy laboratories,
universities, and industry to plan and execute this project on a competitive basis.
There are no technical limitations to the construction of RIA since RIA can be built
based on modest extrapolations of existing technologies. Only a relatively modest
amount of research and development must be completed before a comprehensive
conceptual design can be prepared.
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E. Applicable Conditions and Interfaces
The site selection for RIA will not be considered final until environmental reviews
under NEPA are completed.
F. Resource Requirements and Schedule
This project’s total project cost is approximately $900 million to $1.1 billion,
independent of the site. A preliminary funding profile is provided in Table 2. The
scope includes experimental apparatus, ISOL beam production and delivery systems,
fast beam production and delivery systems, civil construction, central facilities, and
necessary research & development costs. Significant contributions from other
funding sources will likely result in a reduction to the total project cost.
In fiscal year 2004, the 108th Congress provided $2,500,000 over the President’s
Nuclear Physics budget request of $3,500,000 specifically for research and
development and pre-conceptual design activities in support of the Rare Isotope
Accelerator. Provided sufficient funds can be identified, a conceptual design report
could be generated for approximately $3 million to $5 million and completed in
calendar year 2005. A preliminary milestone schedule to construct RIA is found in
Table 3.
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Totals ($ in Millions)
FY 2004
FY 2005
FY 2006
FY 2007
FY 2008
FY 2009
FY 2010
FY 2011
FY 2012
FY 2013
Totals
Research and
Development
$6 6
$4
$10
$6
CDR/NEPA
$10
$7
$6
$5
$4
$2
$2
$45
PED
Construction
$6
$14
$57
$66
$40
$60
$22
$8
$17
Pre-Ops
$130
$140
$204
$177
$104
$27
$652
$70
$57
$168
$217
$181
$106
$99
$57
$127
$971
Table 2: Preliminary Funding Profile ($ in Millions).
The best acquisition strategy to construct this facility and procure equipment will be
determined during the definition phase of the project. Oversight responsibilities, decision
authority thresholds, and change control processes will be conducted in accordance with
all applicable Department of Energy orders to ensure this project is completed within its
scope, schedule, and cost.
Major Milestone Events
CD-0 Approve Mission Need
Select Preferred Site
CD-1 Approve Alternative Selection and Cost Range
Complete NEPA/ Finalize Site/Contractor/Operator
CD-2 Approve Performance Baseline
CD-3 Approve Start of Construction
CD-4 Approve Start of Operations
Preliminary Schedule
2nd Qtr, 2004
1st Qtr, 2005
1st Qtr, 2006
3rd Qtr, 2006
1st Qtr, 2007
2nd Qtr, 2008
4th Qtr, 2013
Table 3: Preliminary milestone schedule for the construction of RIA.
G. Development Plan
The ISOL Task Force, established by NSAC in 1998, identified no known technical
“show stoppers” in constructing RIA but did recommended pre-construction research and
development on key elements to explore cost reductions and enhanced performance. As
a result, pre-construction research and development has been ongoing since fiscal year
2000.
In August 2003, a RIA research and development workshop was held. The workshop
examined and documented the current pre-conceptual design for RIA, identifying areas
6
The FY2004 dollar amount represents the total funds appropriated by Congress, i.e. $2.5 million over the
$3.5 million budget request.
RIA Mission Need Statement
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where decisions on technical options still need to be made. It also documented the status
of the current RIA research and development program activities, identifying areas where
efforts are needed in light of what has been learned. Both ongoing and planned research
and development activities for current operating and planned rare-isotope facilities were
presented, enabling the workshop to be a venue to develop coordinated research and
development efforts of mutual benefit to United States and international efforts.
The Interagency Working Group on the Physics of the Universe, involving DOE,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation (NSF) and
Office of Science and Technology Policy, has recently developed a strategic plan: “A
New Frontier of Discovery: Particle and Astrophysics in the 21th Century.” This plan
provides a roadmap to address the “Eleven Questions” identified in the NRC Quarks to
Cosmos Report. A draft recommendation in this strategic plan is that “DOE and NSF
will generate a scientific roadmap for the proposed RIA in the context of existing and
planned nuclear physics facilities worldwide.” DOE and NSF have begun acting upon
this recommendation by charging NSAC to compare the scientific opportunities for the
United States presented by the RIA facility and the GSI facility. The assessment, along
with further development of the specifications for RIA, will allow DOE to further
examine whether some aspects of RIA’s capabilities might be available elsewhere and
not implemented at RIA.
To keep this development process on track, the current integrated project team is
addressing all programmatic, environmental, and safety concerns. The team includes
representatives from procurement, general counsel, budget, environment, safety and
health, NEPA, and the Nuclear Physics program. As work progresses through its various
stages, the team membership will evolve to insure this project is completed within scope,
cost, and schedule.
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