Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
At Brookhaven National Lab's Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider,
physicists from around the world study what the universe may
have looked like in the first few moments after its creation.
What scientists learn from RHIC may help us understand more
about why the physical world works the way it does, from the
smallest subatomic particles, to the largest stars.
200 MeV Linear Accelerator
The Brookhaven Linear Accelerator (Linac) operation started in 1971 as a major upgrade to the Alternating Gradient Synchroton (AGS) complex. Its purpose is to provide accelerated protons to the AGS for use in RHIC and to the Brookhaven Linac Isotope Producer (BLIP). The basic components of the Linac include ion sources, a radiofrequency quadropole, and nine accelerator radiofrequency cavities spanning the length of a 459 foot tunnel (right).
The Linac is capable of producing a negatively charged hydrogen beam of up to 200 million electron-volts (MeV) energy and 135 microampere average current. The Linac's location relative to the rest of the AGS complex is shown on the map (right).
