On Friday November 7, 2014, TRIUMF celebrated the completion of ARIEL-I, the first stage of the new ARIEL Facility – the Advanced Rare Isotope Laboratory. This event was attended by distinguished guests, including: Andrew Wilkinson, B.C. Minister for Technology, Innovation and Citizen’s Services; Dr. Gilles Patry, President of the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI); and over thirty senior administrators from Canadian universities comprising TRIUMF’s Board of Management.
The $62.9M ARIEL-I project began in 2010 and included civil construction for the new facility, as well as the design, manufacture, and deployment of a state-of-the-art superconducting electron linear accelerator (e-linac). Completed on time and on budget, ARIEL-I reinforces Canada’s competitive advantage in isotope science.
The civil construction presented unique challenges to architects, engineers, and construction partners from across the province, such as radiation shielding to non-disruptive construction within an operational research facility. The remarkable design and engineering achievements of ARIEL-I were recognized recently by the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies British Columbia 2014 Award of Merit, and the Vancouver Regional Construction Association 2014 Gold Award of Excellence.
Led by the University of Vicotria, researchers and technicians from 13 Canadian universities contributed to the design and deployment of the e-linac. TRIUMF's expertise in the production of superconducting radiofrequency cavities was transferred to its industry partner, PAVAC Industries of Richmond, B.C., providing PAVAC with a competitive competency now available in only six nations world wide.
ARIEL-I was supported through a combination of funding from the Government of British Columbia, the Government of Canada (via the CFI and the National Research Council), and international collaborators – notably the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre in Kolkata, India.
ARIEL-II, the next stage of the facility, will engage 19 Canadian universities and is currently being reviewed by TRIUMF’s government, industry, and international partners. Once ARIEL is fully operational, the facility will triple the scientific capacity for the production of isotopes for science, medicine, and business.
(adapted from the press release)
[View the ARIEL-I video here]
Figure Captions
Top: (From left) Dean Karlen (University of Victoria physics professor and ARIEL-1 Principal Investgator), Gilles Patry (CFI President), Lia Merminga (TRIUMF Accelerator Division Head), Andrew Wilkinson (B.C. Minister for Technology, Innovation and Citizen’s Services) and Jonathan Bagger (TRIUMF Director). Dr. Patry, and Minister Wilkinson received "keys to TRIUMF's future" commemorating the completion of ARIEL-I.
Bottom: Minister Wilkinson posing in front of the high-voltage power supply cage in the e-linac hall.
ARIEL Celebration Promo from TRIUMFLab on Vimeo.