SARAF – Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility


The Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility will be a multi-user and versatile particle accelerator facility. It is based on a proton/deuteron RF superconducting linear accelerator, with variable energy and a continuous wave high ion current, and located at the Soreq Nuclear Research Center.
The SARAF high-intensity superconducting linear particle accelerator for light ions belongs to a new generation of particle accelerators. The high ion current generates an unprecedented amount of fast neutrons and radioactive nuclei, that may be used to explore rare nuclear reactions, produce new types of radiopharmaceuticals and more. Moderated neutrons can be used for non-destructive tests with similar resolution and contrast as performed in reactors.
Accelerator facilities such as SARAF are designed to produce enough neutrons to perform the functions that are today possible only at research nuclear reactors, such as IRR1 at Soreq. Since accelerators do not use fissile materials, they are expected to be a welcome replacement of research reactors, as they do not pose a proliferation or an environmental concern, and they have much better public acceptance than nuclear reactors.
The SARAF Phase-I accelerator was built by ACCEL Instruments. The novel acceleration technology proved the feasibility of the construction of the full SARAF Project. Until 2012, SARAF is the first and only superconducting accelerator in the world to demonstrate CW acceleration of mA-range proton beams.

Research and development programs at SARAF

The research and development programs at SARAF include the following subjects:
SARAF is intended to be an Israeli national facility, to be used by Soreq's researchers, the Israeli academy and institutes and universities from all over the world, in order to attract, train and educate a new generation of nuclear physicists and engineers.
Fruitful collaboration with Israeli research institutes and universities, as with world leading accelerator laboratories, turned SARAF to an eminent key player in the world's accelerator community. Newly developed components from other accelerator projects are being tested at SARAF and in addition, SARAF scientists are sharing their knowledge and expertise with worldwide accelerator programs.
The central role of SARAF in the linear accelerator community lead to Soreq NRC being host for the 26th bi-annual LINAC conference, LINAC'12, at Tel Aviv, Israel in September 2012.
Furthermore, SARAF has already become a major facility for students and young researchers, to perform their graduate studies and practice in nuclear physics and nuclear engineering.
Over the last 8 years, approximately 10 graduate students, 15 undergraduate students and 5 post-doctorate fellows performed research projects associated with SARAF.

The construction of SARAF

The construction of SARAF was initiated by Soreq NRC on 2003 and is divided into two phases:
Phase I - A proof of the innovative technologies that are required for constructing the SARAF accelerator. Achievements of Phase I include the first acceleration of 1 mA CW, 4 MeV proton beams through a HWR based superconducting accelerator, routinely delivered to targets and beam dumps and low duty cycle acceleration of 5 MeV deuterons.
Low energy acceleration of such beams is crucial for all present and future high intensity linear accelerator projects worldwide.
Phase II – The completion of the accelerator to its specified performance, construction of a target hall, target stations and all necessary infrastructures. Phase II is planned to commence at 2013. The Phase II accelerator is foreseen to be completed by 2018 and the target hall and stations are planned to be operational by the end of the decade.
Soreq is planning to construct the Phase II accelerator in collaboration with a world leading accelerator laboratory.