Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics Visits European Spallation Source

The Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) recently visited the European Spallation Source (ESS) located in Lund, Sweden. The visit aimed to foster collaboration and discuss Italy's ongoing technical contributions to the large-scale research facility.

INFN has coordinated Italy's involvement in the ESS project since 2009. The institute is internationally recognized for its expertise in particle accelerator technology, leveraging decades of experience from other major European research infrastructures such as CERN and XFEL. Italy's contributions are delivered as "in-kind" contributions, involving collaboration with other ESS member states and Italian industry.

Key Italian contributions are already integrated into the facility. The Ion Source and Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) system, designed and built in Italy at the Southern National Laboratory with support from other member states' partners, was commissioned in 2018. INFN's role continues with the delivery of the Drift Tube Linac (DTL), which accelerates the particle beam to nearly one-third the speed of light, and medium-beta elliptical cavities for the superconducting linac.

Further Italian involvement includes work on the TREX and VESPA instruments. Discussions during the visit focused on the project's progress and upcoming phases. ESS is a leading global neutron source, and Italy's commitment remains a vital component of its development and operational capacity.