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The scientific program at CEBAFis designed to advance our understanding of the fundamental properties of strongly interacting matter. CEBAF is being built to enable experimental measurements using our 5-GeV (up to 12 GeV in the future) electron beam as a probe in regimes where our understanding in terms of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is very rudimentary. The CEBAF acceleratorrepresents the pioneering, large-scale application of superconducting radio frequency (RF) acceleration technology. The accelerator is a unique system with 338 niobium cavities operating at 2 degrees Kelvin (2 degrees above absolute zero) using liquid helium provided from the central helium liquefier, associated RF sources and their precision control systems, 2,200 magnets and their highly regulated power supplies, and 700 beam diagnostic devices used for on-line orbit control and beam characterization. CEBAF will be the only facility in the world capable of producing simultaneous continuous beams with independent energy to three experimental halls. These halls allow the study of strong interactions to proceed in parallel on three fronts.
Initial experimentsbegan in Hall C in the third quarter of 1994. Full energy beam is available since 1995. As the initial complement of experimental equipment was completed, experiments began also in Hall A in the fourth quarter of 1995 and in Hall B in the third quarter of 1996. As a user-oriented facility, CEBAF will serve the national and international research communities in partnership for years to come. The Laboratory is already working with hundreds of scientists from scores of universities on the experiments and equipment that will be a part of this joint venture. CEBAF's other partnerships include the government and various industries. |