The nuclear physics research group at Notre Dame has been successful in obtaining funding for the continuation of the development project for an underground accelerator laboratory in the United States. Three sites, the Sanford Underground Research Laboratory at Homestake Mine, South Dakota, the Kimballton Underground Research Laboratory at Kimballton Mine, Virginia, and Soudan Mine at Minnesota have expressed strong interest to host the Dual Ion Accelerator for Nuclear Astrophysics (DIANA).
The DIANA facility is being developed in collaboration with groups at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Michigan State University, and the University of North Carolina. Also contributing are groups at the Colorado School of Mines and Western Michigan University. The project itself is a multi-million dollar enterprise that will take several years to be completed. This year funding is provided to prepare the final site decision while continuing the R&D at the Notre Dame Nuclear Science Laboratory (NSL) and The National Superconducting Cyclotron Facility (NSCL) at Michigan State.
Originally published at physics.nd.edu on July 25, 2012.