The FRIB Project reached another significant milestone in February with the successful testing of the first half-wave resonator cryomodule. Since half-wave-resonators (HWRs) make up two-thirds of the FRIB linear accelerator (linac), the performance of the HWR cryomodules is critical for the project.

The cryomodules contain superconducting radio frequency (SRF) resonators to accelerate the beam and superconducting solenoids to focus it. The resonators and solenoids operate at cryogenic temperatures, hundreds of degrees below room temperature.

The successful completion of the tests on the first HWR cryomodule allows for the start of mass production of HWR cryomodules for the FRIB linear accelerator, which is the heart of FRIB.