About

What is the CASPAR Mission?

At the intersection of observational astronomy, astrophysics and nuclear physics, there stands the field of experimental low-energy nuclear astrophysics. Through the understanding of stellar burning processes, their energetics and mechanisms, we strive to build a picture of the chemical evolution of our Universe. The driving force of CASPAR is to push this understanding down into the stellar burning regime of astrophysical interest where nuclear reactions take place at low energy.

At low energy, reaction probabilities are extremely low and studying them requires a high sensitivity level difficult to achieve in high background environments. The solution adopted by CASPAR to suppress the overwhelming cosmic-ray induced background is to move underground. Located 4,850 feet below the surface, at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota, CASPAR is a complete accelerator laboratory focused on low-energy nuclear physics. The collaboration is between the University of Notre Dame (ND) and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT). The first accelerated ion beam was achieved in 2017 with subsequent commissioning and calibration tests.

Where is CASPAR?

CASPAR is located on the 4850 ft level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility, in Lead, South Dakota, at the former site of the Homestake Gold Mine. The largest and deepest gold mine in North America until its closure in 2002. The site has over 370 miles of shafts, drifts and ramps previously carved out for gold mining purposes. Currently operations are supported by the Department of Energy and concentrated on 12 miles for science activities.

The mine was the site of the ground breaking work of Ray Davis and John Bahcall in the mid-1960s, often referred to as the "Homestake Experiment". Their work on the solar neutrino problem would later earn Davis a Nobel Prize in 2002, shared with Masatoshi Koshiba and Riccardo Giacconi.

CASPAR Underground Location at SURF

The CASPAR laboratory at SURF is located at the Ross campus of the 4850 level.

Learn more about Experimental Set-Up & Equipment