MAT science Week

High energy proton microscopy (HEPM) or radiography is a novel technique for probing the interior of dense objects in static or dynamic experiments by mono-energetic beams of GeV-energy protons. A special system of magnetic lenses is employed for imaging and aberrations correction. Using this technique, one can measure the areal density distribution of a thick sample with sub-percent accuracy, micrometer-scale spatial and nanosecond-scale temporal resolutions. HEPM is of considerable interest for dense plasma physics, materials research, biophysics and medicine. The PRIOR (Proton Microscope for FAIR) facility will use 2 - 5 GeV intense proton beams from SIS-18 or SIS-100 synchrotrons and will allow for a significant step forward in spatial (~ 10-15 µm) and temporal (~ 5-10 ns) resolution. In 2014, a PRIOR prototype (PRIOR-I) has been constructed and successfully commissioned at the HHT area of GSI in static and dynamic experiments with intense 3.6 GeV proton beam from SIS-18. The PRIOR-I employs high-gradient (120 T/m) NdFeB permanent magnet quadrupole lenses. The commissioning of PRIOR-I has demonstrated 30 μm spatial and 10 ns temporal resolution with remarkable density sensitivity. The final design of the PRIOR proton microscope (PRIOR-II) employs small but strong and radiation-resistant electromagnets. It is assumed that the setup will be first used at GSI for static or dynamic experiments, and later will be transferred without modifications to the new experimental area at FAIR. The PRIOR-II facility will provide a magnification of about 3.5 at GSI and up to 8 at FAIR with 10 μm spatial resolution at the object. The first experiments with the PRIOR-II facility are planned for the end of 2019.