Introducing the Illinois Accelerator Research Center
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The Illinois Accelerator Research Center will provide approximately 42,000 square feet of new technical, office and classroom space.
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For the past several weeks, Fermilab’s site has been bustling with construction activity. The work is all in preparation for the Illinois Accelerator Research Center, a state-of-the-art facility for research, development and industrialization of particle accelerator technology.
In the new facility, called IARC, scientists and engineers from Fermilab, Argonne and Illinois universities will work side by side with industrial partners to develop breakthroughs in accelerator technology and its applications in energy and environment, medicine, industry, national security and discovery science.
Located near CDF and the Industrial Building complex, a new building will house 42,000 square feet of technical, office and classroom space. The full facility, which will eventually include the refurbished CDF assembly building, will have areas for test accelerators, cryogenics infrastructure, temperature controlled workspaces, high capacity electrical power systems and industrial cooling water. The facility will be optimized for use by private industry and the development of advanced accelerator technology.
Serving as an educational center, IARC will help train the next generation of scientists and work with science programs at nearby universities to offer advanced educational opportunities in the field of accelerator science.
As part of the construction, Fermilab’s Road D and the bike path along Road D between Road B and the east Industrial Building/CDF intersection are closed to all traffic. Alternate routes have been established and a map is available online. Fermilab expects the road to be reopened by Sept. 30. The sidewalk and bike path will have modified detours until the second or third week of October.
Funding for IARC is provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of High Energy Physics. Fermilab expects to complete construction of the new building in 2013.
—Elizabeth Clements
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