China launches world's first heavy-ion beam facility

The schematic diagram of the Low Energy high intensity heavy ion Accelerator Facility (LEAF). (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

China has launched a groundbreaking scientific facility capable of generating heavy-ion beams far more powerful than any other device of its kind in the world.

The Low Energy High Intensity Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility, or LEAF, constructed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Modern Physics in Lanzhou, Gansu province, began operations this week, according to researchers.

This facility is expected to help scientists explore the evolutionary history of cosmic elements. Additionally, the techniques developed here could facilitate the synthesis of new elements beyond the current periodic table, experts said.

LEAF is the world's first stand-alone heavy-ion accelerator of its type and boasts a performance several times greater than similar devices in Europe and the United States.

"Chinese scientists have already used LEAF to produce ion beams with an intensity of 80 particle microamperes, doubling the published world record," said Sun Liangting, a researcher at the institute and a member of the development team. Sun said the facility could achieve milliampere-level ion beam intensity, far surpassing the tens of particle microamperes typically produced by similar accelerators globally.