The project “European Spallation Neutron Source (ESS)”: status of R&D programme

Abstract At present the ESS-Project is in its R&D phase (1997–2001) comprising activities in the areas of accelerator (linac and rings), target station (target, moderators, reflector) and instruments. The work is carried out by 14 laboratories and universities in the European Union and Switzerland and co-ordinated by the ESS R&D Council. Intense and fruitful collaborations with partners in the United States, Japan and Russia have been established. In this article, examples of typical results of R&D work on the ESS linac and target will be given.