Central European Synchrotron Laboratory (CESLAB) – current status

P. Mikulík¹, S. Kozubek²

¹Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

²Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic

mikulik@physics.muni.cz

The presentation will discuss the current status of proposal of the new synchrotron radiation facility – Central European Synchrotron Laboratory (CESLAB) [1,2,3] – to be built in the Czech Republic, see figure 1. The new 3 GeV synchrotron to be built in Brno will be the 3rd generation source taking the best from the current state of the art of synchrotron physics and technology. The main facility will be based on the latest 3 GeV European synchrotron ALBA, currently under construction. The knowledge transfer, help and direct collaboration on the project planning and later on synchrotron construction has been agreed with the experienced team in ALBA with a support by the respective Czech and Spanish ministries. This considerably boosted preparation of the Conceptual Design Study. From a technical point of view, the storage ring of diameter 270 m will consist of 24 straight sections for insertion devices for up to 33 beamlines.

Beamlines are the heart of results at the synchrotron facility. They provide necessary equipment for the methods applied to different fields of research. They were proposed to support research in biology and medicine, material science, chemistry, microtechnology and nanotechnology, environmental sciences, archeology and other disciplines [2,3]. The methods of elastic X-ray scattering (high-resolution diffraction, powder diffraction and grazing/small angle scattering), crystallography (single crystals, macromolecules), spectroscopy (absorption, Mössbauer), and imaging (absorption, phase-contrast and coherent, diffraction) will be available at dedicated beamlines. A multipurpose X-ray optics beamline will be available for generic applications, including testing of new components, methods and for metrology. While most of the beamlines will work in the X-ray region, a beamline for VUV chemistry in gas phase and ellipsometry and IR beamline for spectroscopy and ellipsometry are proposed as well.

Figure 1. Map of the current network of european synchrotrons (left) and architectural rendering of CESLAB (right).

Czech scientists have a long tradition in research with synchrotron radiation. The Czech Republic was the first from the central European countries joining the ESRF, the brightest European synchrotron. Consequently, there is a lot of experience for constructing and running a synchrotron. In the Europe, as everywhere in the world, the demand for beamtime is larger than the available measuring time. A new synchrotron will help to reduce this pressure. Further, the new source will enhance interest in physics and high technology. It will also allow young researcher easier come-back from their positions at European synchrotrons.

Researchers from neighbouring countries are very welcome to join the project in order to work on the design and running of beamlines of their interest.

The current trend in the world is to provide fast access for urgent or cutting-edge applications, which is needed mainly for industrial applications. Development of several novel methods utilizing synchrotron radiation is currently in progress. A new synchrotron facility in the favourite location of Brno close to five central European countries will take care of all of these needs.

References

1. Web pages: http://www.synchrotron.cz and http://www.ceslab.eu .

2. Special issue of Materials Structure, 15/1a (2008).

3. P. Mikulík, Z. Pokorná, B. Růžička, S. Kozubek, Čs. čas. fyz. D., 58, (2008), 244.