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FAIR Commissioning - Towards First Science

S. Reimann, H. Albers, R. W. Assmann, P. Gasik, O. Geithner, F. Hagenbuck, A. Herlert, P. Hofmann, V. Kamerdzhiev, M. Kauschke, H. Kollmus, S. Pietri, N. Pyka, T. Radon, C. Schroeder, S. Schwarz, H. Simon, P. Spiller, K. Vogt

TL;DR

The paper presents a comprehensive plan to transition FAIR from construction to operation, detailing a staged commissioning strategy that starts with the cryogenic infrastructure and extends through the FAIR Control Centre, HEBT, SFRS, and SIS100, enabling first science by 2028. It outlines concrete milestones, including Cryo2 commissioning in 2025, the 2026 launch of the new control room, and subsequent local, remote, and beam commissioning phases, while coordinating with GSI Phase-0 activities. The work emphasizes the integration of core experiments (NUSTAR and CBM) and the early science program, with explicit targets for detector and beamline readiness, ion-optical validation, and safe, reliable operation under realistic physics conditions. Overall, the paper provides a detailed, timeline-driven plan to achieve first physics outcomes while maintaining parallel operations of the existing GSI accelerator complex.

Abstract

The international Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) is under construction at the GSI Helmholtz Centre in Darmstadt. The first project stage includes the superconducting 100 Tm heavy-ion synchrotron SIS100, the Super Fragment Separator, and associated beam transport lines. Part of GSI's existing accelerator chain, comprising UNILAC and SIS18, will serve as injector. Installation work in the FAIR accelerator tunnels and supply buildings has been ongoing since early 2024. As progress continues, special attention is now on the start of commissioning, beginning in 2025 with the cryogenic plant. Commissioning of the transport line will follow at the end of 2025, and beam commissioning is scheduled for the second half of 2027. This paper outlines the current status of the project, commissioning strategy and timeline.

FAIR Commissioning - Towards First Science

TL;DR

The paper presents a comprehensive plan to transition FAIR from construction to operation, detailing a staged commissioning strategy that starts with the cryogenic infrastructure and extends through the FAIR Control Centre, HEBT, SFRS, and SIS100, enabling first science by 2028. It outlines concrete milestones, including Cryo2 commissioning in 2025, the 2026 launch of the new control room, and subsequent local, remote, and beam commissioning phases, while coordinating with GSI Phase-0 activities. The work emphasizes the integration of core experiments (NUSTAR and CBM) and the early science program, with explicit targets for detector and beamline readiness, ion-optical validation, and safe, reliable operation under realistic physics conditions. Overall, the paper provides a detailed, timeline-driven plan to achieve first physics outcomes while maintaining parallel operations of the existing GSI accelerator complex.

Abstract

The international Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) is under construction at the GSI Helmholtz Centre in Darmstadt. The first project stage includes the superconducting 100 Tm heavy-ion synchrotron SIS100, the Super Fragment Separator, and associated beam transport lines. Part of GSI's existing accelerator chain, comprising UNILAC and SIS18, will serve as injector. Installation work in the FAIR accelerator tunnels and supply buildings has been ongoing since early 2024. As progress continues, special attention is now on the start of commissioning, beginning in 2025 with the cryogenic plant. Commissioning of the transport line will follow at the end of 2025, and beam commissioning is scheduled for the second half of 2027. This paper outlines the current status of the project, commissioning strategy and timeline.
Paper Structure (10 sections, 5 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 10 sections, 5 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. GSI & FAIR
  2. The Cryogenic System
  3. FAIR Control Centre (FCC)
  4. Accelerator Commissioning
  5. High Energy Beam Transport (HEBT)
  6. Superconducting Fragment Separator (SFRS)
  7. The Heavy-Ion Synchrotron SIS100
  8. NUSTAR and CBM - Experiments
  9. CONCLUSION
  10. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: Overview of the GSI accelerator complex (in blue) and the facilities of the FAIR project. The first project stage, 'First Science +', is depicted in green.
  • Figure 2: Layout of the FAIR cryogenic system with cryo plant and corresponding distribution system.
  • Figure 3: Console layout for the new FAIR control room.
  • Figure 4: FAIR Commissioning Schedule (2025--2028).
  • Figure 5: Super-FRS in its early science configuration.