Scientists suspect that the core of the neutron star exists in the form of matter just one microsecond after the Big Bang – the initial state of quarks, gluons and other elementary particles. Quarks are a type of elementary matter particle similar to electrons in ions, and can move about almost freely without being absorbed into gluons.

• How can we discover and solve nature’s puzzles through science?
• Is it possible to regenerate a nuclear reaction in order to reconstruct and study the transition from nuclear matter to quark and gluon matter?

On October 4, 2010, one of the largest scientific research facility in the field of European fundamental physics, Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (abbreviated as FAIR), held a signing ceremony in Wiesbaden, Germany.

What is FAIR?

FAIR aims at providing scientists from around the world with new insights into the structure of matter and the evolution of the universe, from the Big Bang right up until today. About 25 structures are being built on a site measuring about 150,000 square meters. At the heart of the facility is an underground ring accelerator with a circumference of 1,100 meters. The ring accelerator will generate particle beams of a previously unparalleled intensity and quality.

What service does DB Schenker provide?

DB Schenker is involved in the transportation of the components that make this unimaginable scientific achievement feasible. This includes full and partial loads on the long hauls and heavy-haulage transport from the warehouse to the construction site. Moreover, DB Schenker takes care of customs and various value-added services, and also handles the administration and coordination between the other service providers involved in the project. 

During the 6-year life of the project, DB Schenker is operating a dedicated 9,000-square meter warehouse near the construction site. We are responsible for handling 24,000 components in total. This logistics facility is used to store all components for the particle accelerator, including electronic equipment, but also magnets, some of which weigh more than 36 tons.

The future FAIR facility

In FAIR, one of the largest research projects worldwide, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung is constructing a gigantic particle accelerator in Darmstadt, Germany, in collaboration with international partners.

When everything is in place and installed, scientists will be able to accelerate billions of uranium ions to a speed that equals 99 percent of the speed of light. The particles can travel more than one million kilometers within just a few seconds, thanks to the perfectly coordinated control of the accelerator structures and their associated steering magnets, and to the facility’s ultra-high-performance vacuum system. With all this, researchers will be able to bring the universe into the lab and produce matter that usually only exists in the depth of space.

Transporting a 36-ton magnet to get the smallest particles on Earth moving at almost the speed of light – welcome to the universe of DB Schenker.