IMPACT: Upgrade at PSI research facility approved
Decision secures Swiss research and industry access to unique experimental capabilities
Villigen, 19 December 2024 – At its meeting on 15 December 2024, the Swiss Federal Council approved a major upgrade at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). The upgrade will enhance the IPHI neutron source and the SINQ spallation neutron source at PSI, securing Switzerland’s position as a world leader in neutron research and providing unique capabilities for science and industry.
“This upgrade is a major investment in Swiss research infrastructure and will provide cutting-edge experimental capabilities for our researchers and industry partners,” says PSI Director Christian Rüegg. “It will allow us to address key societal challenges in areas such as materials science, energy research, and health.”
The upgrade will focus on two main areas:
- IPHI (the Intense Pulsed Hadron Source) is a high-power proton accelerator that produces intense pulses of neutrons. The upgrade will increase the beam power of IPHI by a factor of 10, enabling researchers to conduct experiments with unprecedented precision and sensitivity.
- SINQ (the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source) is a spallation neutron source that provides a continuous beam of neutrons. The upgrade will increase the neutron flux of SINQ by a factor of 2, enabling researchers to study larger and more complex samples.
The upgrade is expected to cost approximately CHF 500 million and will be completed in two phases. The first phase, which will include the upgrade of IPHI, is scheduled to be completed by 2027. The second phase, which will include the upgrade of SINQ, is scheduled to be completed by 2030.
The upgrade has been supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), the University of Basel, and the Canton of Aargau.
“The upgrade of the PSI research facility is a clear sign of Switzerland’s commitment to research and innovation,” says Matthias Egger, President of the SNSF. “It will provide our researchers with the cutting-edge tools they need to make groundbreaking discoveries and address the challenges of the 21st century.”
More information:
- Paul Scherrer Institute: www.psi.ch/en
- IPHI: www.psi.ch/en/research-and-development/accelerators-and-targetry/proton-accelerators/iphi
- SINQ: www.psi.ch/en/research-and-development/accelerators-and-targetry/neutron-sources/sinq
IMPACT: Upgrade at PSI research facility approved
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