Orateur
Description
The in-depth study of superheavy elements and the proton dripline around ¹⁰⁰Sn are two major challenges in contemporary nuclear physics. Conducting detailed spectroscopic studies on these nuclei requires a significant improvement in detection capabilities.
The Super Separator Spectrometer S³, part of the SPIRAL2 facility at GANIL, aims to leverage the high-intensity stable beams provided by the linear accelerator (LINAC) to produce rare isotopes via fusion-evaporation. S³ is designed to deliver optimal rejection power, high transmission, and a mass resolution of approximately 400. The use of high-acceptance superconducting multipoles ensures high transmission through large gaps and higher-order optical corrections. These features, combined with a high-power target station, will enable access to nuclei with fusion-evaporation cross-sections down to the picobarn range and below.
Most of the systems of S3 have been installed and are being finalized for tests. A first commissioning phase was performed in november 2024 to validate the injection line from the LINAC to S3 and the target station. The control of the chopper of the LINAC by the rotation of the target wheel was successfully performed. The electric dipole of the mass spectrometer was successfully conditioned up to +/- 200 kV in 2025. The seven superconducting quadrupole triplets are being upgraded with better helium level probes and new superconducting current leads before the test phase in cold condition. The next steps include completing mechanical and electronic integration, followed by tests of the superconducting magnets. Current challenges involve the mapping of the fields of the quadrupole triplets and their alignment.
This presentation will detail recent progress, technical challenges, and the scientific opportunities offered by S³.
S3 has been funded by the French Research Ministry, National Research Agency (ANR), through the EQUIPEX (EQUIPment of EXcellence) reference ANR-10EQPX- 46, the FEDER (Fonds Européen de Développement Economique et Régional), the CPER (Contrat Plan Etat Région) through the Région Normandie & the French State and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Physics, under contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357 and by the E.C.FP7-INFRASTRUCTURES 2007, SPIRAL2 Preparatory Phase, Grant agreement No.: 212692.