China Launches Trial Operations for High Intensity Heavy-Ion Accelerator Facility
China has begun trial operations of the High Intensity Heavy-ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF) after completing construction and passing official technological acceptance. The development marks a significant step in the country’s efforts to deepen scientific understanding of the fundamental building blocks of the universe through advanced nuclear research.
According to Yang Jiancheng, deputy director of the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief engineer of the HIAF project, the facility is an internationally leading mega-science installation located in Huizhou, Guangdong Province. It features the world’s highest pulsed heavy-ion beam intensity and the most precise ring spectrometer for nuclear mass measurement.
The facility will provide scientists with advanced capabilities to investigate the limits of atomic nuclei, study nuclear astrophysical processes, and support progress in nuclear energy development alongside a range of multidisciplinary applications.
Advanced Research Capabilities
The High Intensity Heavy-ion Accelerator Facility is a key national mega-science project developed by the Institute of Modern Physics. Following a seven-year construction period, the facility successfully generated its first beam in October 2025.
Yang explained that the high-speed heavy ions produced by the accelerator function as microscopic cannonballs that collide with designated targets. These collisions create extreme conditions of high temperature and pressure, allowing researchers to study matter in environments that are otherwise impossible to reproduce.
During recent commissioning experiments, the facility reached record-breaking performance levels. It achieved unprecedented beam intensities for both oxygen and bismuth ions, exceeding previous international records by 3.0 times and 7.5 times respectively.
Exploring the Limits of Atomic Nuclei
The HIAF is expected to play a major role in fundamental scientific research. It will enable scientists to investigate the boundaries of atomic nuclei while providing new opportunities to study the deep structure of matter.
In addition, the facility can simulate some of the universe’s most extreme environments. These include the interiors of stars, supernova explosions and the early stages of the Big Bang. By recreating such conditions, researchers aim to improve understanding of nuclear astrophysical processes and the formation of matter.
The combination of high beam intensity and precise nuclear mass measurement is expected to support a broad range of experiments that were previously beyond reach.
Applications Beyond Fundamental Science
Beyond basic research, the High Intensity Heavy-ion Accelerator Facility is designed to support practical scientific and technological applications.
The facility can be used to evaluate the radiation resistance of spacecraft, contributing to future space missions and aerospace technologies. Furthermore, it is expected to assist in advancing nuclear energy development and promote research into functional materials.
The medical sector is also set to benefit from the new infrastructure. According to Yang, the facility will significantly advance heavy-ion cancer therapy while supporting the development of new medical isotope drugs.
These capabilities position the HIAF as an important research platform for both scientific discovery and applied innovation across multiple disciplines.
With inputs from Reuters