Canadian Light Source Synchrotron Achieves Key Technical Milestone
Posted July 04, 2002
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 4, 2002 2002-07-04-OTHER
Canadian Light Source Synchrotron Achieves Key Technical Milestone
The Canadian Light Source synchrotron, now under construction at the
University of Saskatchewan, has achieved an important milestone on the way
to supplying brilliant light for scientific experiments by January of 2004.
This week, a beam of electrons travelling at nearly the speed of light was
successfully transferred from the refurbished linear accelerator or 'linac'
to the booster ring. It was then transported around the 100-metre
circumference booster ring with substantial current for several millions of
turns. The current was measured and detected on a monitor at
http://www.cls.usask.ca/media/analyze_screen.shtml
"This is the synchrotron's second successful operating subsystem, and we're
delighted that we've reached this significant milestone on time and on
budget," said Mark de Jong, Interim Executive-Director of the Canadian Light
Source Inc. (CLSI).
"We now have an operating booster ring that will be used to accelerate
electrons and boost their energy. The next major milestone will be to inject
the beam into the storage ring which is expected to be achieved in early
2003."
Later this week, the CLS commissioning team hopes to boost the energy of the
beam for the first time. The team is led by accelerator physicist Les Dallin
who designed both the booster and storage rings for the $173.4-million
project.
The U of S-owned national facility is one of the largest scientific projects
in Canada and one of the most advanced synchrotrons in the world.
Further testing to optimize performance of the booster ring will take place
over the next year and a half. The booster ring uses magnetic fields to
force the electrons to race in a circle and powerful radio waves to ramp the
energy of the electron beam to 2.9 billion electron volts.
Once the speeding electrons are transferred to the 170-metre storage ring,
powerful magnets will bend or accelerate the electrons to produce light over
a spectrum from infrared to X-rays. This very bright and stable light will
be directed down beamlines to hutches where scientists can use it for their
experiments.
Synchrotron light -- millions of times brighter than sunlight -- is used to
view chemical reactions and the micro-structure of materials, paving the way
for new drugs, more powerful computer chips, better engine lubricants, more
effective medical imaging and a host of other applications for science and
industry.
In other synchrotron news, the U of S board of governors recently appointed
Bernard Michel, chair and chief executive officer of uranium supplier Cameco
Corporation, to the CLSI board of directors.
"With 35 years of distinguished engineering and management experience in the
North American and European mining industry, Bernard will provide an
invaluable industrial users' perspective to the CLSI board," said U of S
President Peter MacKinnon.
The board of governors also approved two contracts worth a total of $1.4
million plus taxes and duty:
- a $723,560 contract to Air Liquide of Winnipeg for a liquid nitrogen
system that will supply cooling to parts of the storage ring
- $700,400 contract to Danfysik A/S of Denmark for fabrication and supply of
magnets and power supplies vital to storage ring operation. These special
magnets merge an injected beam with a beam already circulating in the
storage ring. Danfysik was identified as the only acceptable candidate based
on schedule, cost and technical ability.
CLS funding partners include the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the
Canadian government (including Western Economic Diversification, Natural
Resources Canada, the National Research Council, NSERC, and the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research), Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, Ontario
Innovation Trust, Alberta Innovation and Science, Alberta Heritage
Foundation for Medical Research, U of S, the City of Saskatoon, SaskPower,
and Boehringer Ingelheim, University of Western Ontario, and University of
Alberta. GlaxoSmithKline has also provided funding for a U of S chair in an
area of synchrotron science.
For more information about the CLS and how it works, visit: www.cls.usask.ca
-30-
For more information, contact:
Kathryn Warden
Research Communications Officer
Office of the Vice-President (Research)
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-2506
kathryn.warden@usask.ca
