Universal linear accelerator

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The Universal Linear Accelerator is a heavy ion linac based at the Heavy Ion Research Centre (GSI) near Darmstadt, Germany. It can provide beams of accelerated ions of elements from Carbon to Uranium with energies up to 20 MeV / u. The UNILAC is used both to send beams of heavy ions to experiments and to load the SIS Heavy-Ion Synchrotron (Schwer-Ionen-Synchrotron) with high-energy ions.

Collisions between heavy-ion beams and stationary targets can be made to generate superheavy transactinide elements. Experiments using beams from UNILAC have produced, in the past 20 years, elements 107 to 112.