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Physical Sciences and Engineering

Center for Accelerator Target Science

CATS
The Center for Accelerator Target Science (CATS) is a national center for the development and fabrication of targets.

The Physics Division at Argonne National Laboratory maintains a target development laboratory in direct support of ongoing low-energy nuclear physics research undertaken at the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) facility. The mission of the target laboratory is also to support research by the low-energy research group of the Physics Division. Under certain conditions, the target laboratory has also supplied targets to other scientists, including ATLAS users, for experiments carried out at other locations, both within the US and abroad, but only a fraction of these outside requests can be addressed. It was thus proposed to create a National Center for Accelerator Target Science (CATS) based on the existing target development laboratory at Argonne. The objectives of the center are as follows:

1. Serve the DOE-NP low-energy community by producing targets whenever possible by either manufacturing them or by directing requests to other facilities best able to perform the task;

2. Train individual investigators and students in target making in order to provide a workforce capable to address present and future needs;

3. Carry out R&D activities dedicated to novel production techniques and optimization of existing ones;

4. Develop an inventory of existing targets that will serve as a pool available to the community.

 Center for Accelerator Target Science Support Facilities