The 590 MeV isochronous ring cyclotron of the Swiss Institute of Nuclear Research (S.I.N.)

In January and February 1974 the Swiss Institute of Nuclear Research (S.I.N.), located in Villigen, 30 km northwest of Zurich, successfully commissioned its isochronous cyclotron for 590 MeV protons. This cyclotron is thus the second operating accelerator of a series of three so-called 'meson factories' and the only one of its kind in Europe. During spring and summer 1974 the first experiments with pions produced from an external target were performed. During spring 1975 an extracted beam current of 25 μA was obtained and transmission through the cyclotron could be brought to values of 90 to 95%. (orig.)