GANIL, Caen
The Grand Accélérateur National d’Ions Lourds (GANIL) facility (Caen, France) is dedicated to the acceleration of heavy ion beams for nuclear physics, atomic physics, radiobiology and material irradiation. The production of stable and radioactive ion beams for nuclear physics studies represents the main part of the activity. Two complementary methods are used for exotic beam production: the Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL, the SPIRAL1 facility) and the In-Flight Separation techniques (IFS). SPIRAL1, the ISOL facility, is running since 2001, producing and post-accelerating radioactive ion beams. The running modes of the accelerators are recalled as well as a review of the operation from 2001 to 2008. A point is done on the way we managed the high intensity ion beam transport issues and constraints which allows the exotic beam production improvement.
GANIL, Caen
For the GANIL safety revaluation and the new project of accelerator SPIRAL 2, it was decided to replace the existing access control system for radiological controlled areas. These areas are all cyclotron rooms and experimental areas. The existing system is centralized around VME cards. Updating is becoming very problematic. The new UGA (access control unit) will be composed of a pair of PLC to ensure the safety of each room. It will be supplemented by a system UGB (radiological control unit) that will assure the radiological monitoring of the area concerned. This package will forbid access to a room where the radiological conditions are not sure and, conversely, will forbid the beam if there is a possibility of presence of a person. The study of the system is finished and the record of safety in preparation. At GANIL, the ions are accelerated by cyclotrons (C01 or C02, CSS1, CSS2, CIME) and are transported through beamlines towards the rooms of experiments (D1-D6, G1-G4). A first named extension SPIRAL was brought into service in 2000. It makes it possible to produce and post-accelerate, via the cyclotron CIME, the radioactive ion beams obtained by fragmentation of stable ions resulting from CSS2 in a carbon target. The project SPIRAL2 will arrive soon and has the same need in safety. Each room must thus remain confined (without human presence) when potentially dangerous ionizing radiations are present. This protection was identified as an important function for safety and is provided by EIS (Important Equipment for Safety). The EIS of GANIL are referred and described in the RGE (General Rules of Exploitation). It was decided to replace the current systems of security management by four distinct but interconnected systems.