The exploration of nuclear structures serves not only to advance our understanding of the most basic elements of our physical world, but also to explain the origins of our universe and to spawn groundbreaking industrial applications. Producing beams of high-energy radioisotopes has become the most effective technique for conducting such investigations, enabling researchers to study states well beyond the range of stable nuclei.
The Radioisotope Beam Factory (RIBF) at the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science was built with the goal of generating the world’s highest-energy radioisotope beams for use in nuclear experiments. The SHARAQ spectrometer, short for ‘spectroscopy with high-resolution analyzer and radioactive quantum beams’, designed by the Center for Nuclear Study (CNS) at the University of Tokyo, is the first facility to use an unstable nuclei beam as a measurement probe. The name ‘SHARAQ’ was inspired by the famous Japanese woodblock artist Toshusai Sharaku.
In March of this year, the first RIBF beam line was connected to the SHARAQ spectrometer, together forming a high-resolution radioisotope beam analyzer. Experiments have confirmed that the system is performing correctly, and plans are on track toward the execution of new cutting-edge nuclear science experiments.
In commemoration of the successful commissioning of experiments at SHARAQ, a ceremony was held on June 30 at the conference room of the RIBF building, co-hosted by the RIKEN Nishina Center and the CNS.
Designed to meet demanding requirements for precision and resolution, the newly commissioned SHARAQ spectrometer promises to produce exciting results over the next few years that will greatly expand the landscape of nuclear science.
