Small accelerators and their applications in the CANAM research infrastructure at the NPI CAS

The Nuclear Physics Institute (NPI) of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) operates, among other facilities, a Tandetron linear accelerator, TR-24 and U-120M cyclotrons, and an MT25 microtron. A new accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) instrument, MILEA, has recently been acquired. Except for the MT25, all facilities are synergic parts of the Centre of Accelerators and Nuclear Analytical Methods Research Infrastructure (CANAM RI) ( http://canam.ujf.cas.cz ). This paper demonstrates the instrumental, scientific and application capabilities of the devices for many fundamental nuclear physics experiments and a wide spectrum of applications. The Tandetron Laboratory has a full arsenal of ion-beam analytical methods, ion-beam nano- and microstructuring techniques, as well as tools for the doping and synthesis of new progressive materials using energetic ion beams. It uniquely utilises ion beams for 3D elemental mapping; it studies internal morphology using ion-microprobe methods applicable in many scientific branches. The TR-24 and U-120M cyclotrons provide the primary beams of accelerated ions as well as the generated secondary fast neutrons, including the necessary instrumentation and the target technology, and enable fundamental experiments in nuclear physics, astrophysics, dosimetry, etc. The microtron MT25 is a source of relativistic electrons (the primary electron beam), the secondary photon beam (bremsstrahlung) and neutrons from photonuclear reactions which are used, e.g. for analysis and preservation of cultural heritage. The MILEA AMS system offers a highly sensitive isotopic ratio measurement of very long-lived radionuclides at levels up to 10–15.