With support of FAIR-Russia Research Centre (FRRC) and Rosatom-Helmholtz Young FAIR Group Leader Contest, PRIOR (the Proton microscope for FAIR) jointly constructed by a team of scientists from GSI (Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany), SSC RF ITEP (Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics NRC «Kurchatov Institute»), LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, USA), has been commissioning in 2014.
Proton microscope PRIOR, located in HHT experimental area of GSI.
The unique highly-precise proton microscope PRIOR, exploited a 4.5 GeV proton beam, is intended to measure density distribution of static and dynamic targets with high spatial and temporal resolutions. In the frame of HEDgeHOB collaboration PRIOR is expected to be used at FAIR for investigation of extreme states of matter with high intensity heavy ion beam of future SIS-100 accelerator.
Modern proton radiography facilities at LANL and ITEP are demonstrated an advantage for study the high density targets, especially in dynamic experiments, in comparison with traditional x-rays methods. Also proton radiography has a higher penetration rate and better spatial resolution compared to x-rays one. The high spatial resolution and contrast of proton radiography image are achieved by using magnetic optics in the system, designed by scheme of proton microscopy with image magnification of investigated object.
In the first experiments with static objects at PRIOR with proton beam from SIS-18 accelerator at GSI a spatial resolution of 30 µm was achieved. Figure 2 shows a photo and a proton radiography image of observed object (quartz watch). The main features seen are the battery, clockwork movement, hands.
Left – photo of quartz watch, installed in the holder of target manipulator; right – proton radiographic image, obtained at PRIOR.
In the 2014-2015 the investigation of shockwave processes of the underwater electrical wires explosions are planned to perform at PRIOR.