Initial operation of the Holifield facility

The Holifield Heavy Ion Research Facility (HHIRF) is located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and operated, by the Physics Division, as a national user facility for research in heavy-ion science. The facility operates two accelerators: the new Pelletron electrostatic accelerator, designed to accelerate all ions at terminal potentials up to 25 million volts, and the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron (ORIC) which, in addition to its stand-alone capabilities, has been modified to serve also as a booster accelerator for ion beams from the Pelletron. In addition, a number of state-of-the-art experimental devices, a new data acquisition computer system, and special user accommodations have been implemented as part of the facility. The construction of the facility was completed officially in June of this year. This paper reports on the present status of facility operation, observations from testing and running of the 25 MV Pelletron, experience with coupled operation of the Pelletron with the ORIC booster, and a brief summary of the experimental devices now available at the facility.