DIANA, an Underground Accelerator Facility for Nuclear Astrophysics

该奖项将使地下加速器实验室的研究和发展计划得以继续，该实验室将解决核天体物理学中的基本问题，如理解元素的起源和宇宙的化学演化。目标是最终解决核天体物理学中三个长期存在的基本问题：太阳中微子源和太阳核心的金属丰度；碳基核合成;以及中子源在恒星中产生反式铁元素。每一个过程都需要精确测量非常低能量的核截面。然而，由于典型实验室环境中的小截面和大辐射背景，需要使用地下低能加速器设施来提高我们对低能恒星反应的认识。核天体物理双离子加速器（DIANA）是一个被提议的下一代地下加速器实验室，提供比现有设施更高的离子束强度、不同的离子种类和更宽的能量范围的增强能力。它将能够以更高的精度测量低能量的太阳燃烧截面，并增强我们对恒星燃烧后期更复杂反应机制的认识。该合同为地下站点的研究和开发、可行性研究以及项目开发和定义提供支持，以便DIANA团队能够进一步推进设计活动，并提供可靠的成本和进度估算。这项工作建立在为南达科他州霍姆斯特克矿开发的概念设计的基础上。如果DIANA最终建成，该设施将容纳大量研究生和博士后研究人员和用户，有助于培养辐射物理和核技术领域的专业人员，这对国家医学、能源生产、国防、工业和政府的需求至关重要。将与核天体物理联合研究所（JINA）合作制定一项外展计划。它将利用地下位置提供的机会，并将与当地大学和外展组织协调组织。

This award will enable continuation of research and development of plans for an underground accelerator laboratory that would address fundamental questions in nuclear astrophysics like understanding the origin of the elements and the chemical evolution of the universe. The goal is to eventually address three long-standing fundamental problems in nuclear astrophysics: solar neutrino sources and the core metallicity of the sun; carbon-based nucleosynthesis; and neutron sources for the production of trans-iron elements in stars. Each of these processes requires precise measurements of very low-energy nuclear cross sections. However, because of the small cross-sections and large radiation backgrounds in the typical laboratory environment, the use of underground-based low-energy accelerator facilities is required to advance our knowledge of low energy stellar reactions. The Dual Ion Accelerator for Nuclear Astrophysics (DIANA) is a proposed next generation underground accelerator laboratory providing enhanced capabilities in terms of substantially higher ion beam intensity, different ion species, and broader energy range than those at current facilities. It would enable measurements of solar burning cross-sections at lower energies with higher precision and enhance our knowledge of more complex reaction mechanisms during late stellar burning. This award provides support for research and development, feasibility studies of underground sites, and project development and definition so that the DIANA team can further advance the design activities and deliver reliable cost and schedule estimates. This work builds upon the conceptual design that was developed for the Homestake Mine in South Dakota. If DIANA is eventually built, the facility will host a large number of graduate student and postdoctoral researchers and users, contributing to training professionals in the areas of radiation physics and nuclear technologies, which are essential for the national needs in medicine, energy production, defense, industry, and government. An outreach program will be developed in collaboration with the Joint Institute of Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA). It will take advantage of the opportunities offered by an underground location and will be organized in coordination with local colleges and outreach organizations.