German Electron Synchrotron DESY

Safety concept for the operational, set-up and dismantling phases of the BabylAXO experiment

The underground ring accelerator HERA (Hadron Electron Ring Facility) at DESY has been in operation since the 1980s and was decommissioned in 2007. The new BabylAXO experiment is to be set up and operated on the lowest level of the HERA South Hall, which is part of the building. The experiment will use a special mobile telescope and X-ray detector to detect axions emitted by the sun. Axions are so-called hypothetical elementary particles with extremely low mass, no spin and little interaction with other particles. They are currently considered the most likely candidate for the long-sought "dark mass" in astrophysics.

On behalf of DESY, STUVAtec has developed a safety concept for this new large-scale experiment. This involved reviewing the structural, technical and organizational fire protection, defining special fire protection measures during the construction work and developing an escape route concept.

An international research team plans to put the BabylAXO prototype into operation in 2024.