RRW: "Energy Doubler" Appears to be Feasible Concept
Robert R. Wilson, NAL Director, testified Tuesday afternoon, March 9, 1971 before members of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C., on the state of the Laboratory. He said, in part:
"Fortune has smiled on us at NAL since our groundbreaking on December 1, 1968. Our costs have been low enough and our construction has been rapid enough that a larger fraction of the machine is under way, or actually finished, than might other wise have been expected. Indeed, it appears possible now that the accelerator might be in operation this coming summer."
Dr. Wilson spoke about the eventuality of NAL going to 500 BeV. He noted that the JCAE Subcommittee on Research, Development and Radiation had recommended, in 1968, that a continued study be made of the possibility of achieving a higher energy (at NAL) by the use of super-conductivity.
"It appears now that such a possibility may become feasible in the concept of what I like to call an 'energy doubler.' It is a small-bore superconducting magnet that can be mounted 'pickaback' on the present main ring magnet. If successful, it should be of modest cost and should enable us to achieve higher energies -- as much as 1,000 BeV. Just as important, though, is that operation above the 200 BeV level would cost much less using the superconducting magnet than it would using our present copper and iron magnets. In fact, a considerable fraction of the cost of the energy doubler might be recovered in the first years by savings in operating costs. It might also forestall the necessity of installing additional water cooling or of installing devices to smooth out our electrical loads on the power lines...."
"....Because the bore of the new magnets would be so small, because no new tunnel or buildings would have to be constructed, we can hope to be able to build such a device for less than $20 million, possibly even for less than $10 million. All of these considerations, it must be emphasized, are based only on the most preliminary of studies...."
"....If we have done at all well at the NAL, it is in part a reflection of the interest, the eagerness, the ability, the determination of the physicists in this country to explore the existing frontier of knowledge. I would hope that the JCAE, which has done so much to initiate this project, to bring it to this point of reality, to inspire it to over-reach the initial goal, will help it to reach an operational level that will justify what they have accomplished thus far. I would hope, too, that in living up to my commitment to the Committee not to exceed $250,000,000 for construction, the Committee will challenge me to build as extensive experimental facilities and attain as high an energy as is possible without exceeding the Congressional authorization of $250,000,000."