Ponente
Descripción
In this contribution, the n_TOF facility at CERN will be presented, with emphasis on the unique characteristics that make it a leading neutron time-of-flight facility worldwide.
The integration of n_TOF within the CERN ecosystem and the strategic advantages this positioning offers will be discussed, including access to world-class infrastructure, expertise, and collaborative networks. During the quarter century of operation, highly specialized and well-tailored experimental setups have been developed, optimized for precision measurements across a broad-energy range. More recently, advances in detector R&D and newly established experimental techniques have further enhanced the measurement capabilities of the Collaboration, opening exciting new physics avenues. In this talk, the most important setups and techniques developed at n_TOF will be highlighted.
The n_TOF Collaboration is, since the beginning, the largest neutron physics collaboration globally, continuously attracting new participants over the years, reflecting the facility's central role in the field. Selected achievements demonstrating the facility's impact on nuclear data for applications ranging from nuclear energy to astrophysics will be presented.
Finally, the general principle that critical measurements for emerging nuclear technologies and other applications benefit from independent verification at multiple facilities will be addressed. In this context, potential areas where complementary measurements between established facilities like n_TOF and future facilities could serve the broader nuclear physics community will be briefly discussed.