AUSTRALIAN SYNCHROTRON UPDATE -- AUGUST 2005
News from the Australian Synchrotron project
1. PROJECT UPDATE
* Building completion
* Installation progress
* Beamline trust fund
* Beamline recruitment
* Beamline tenders
* International relationships
* Industry projects
* Synchrotron science for Year 12 students
* Community speakers
2. COMING EVENTS
* Free public lectures: 17, 24, 31 August and 7, 14 September, Monash University
* National Science Festival: 17 -21 August, Canberra
* Synchrotron Lithography Workshop, 2 September, Melbourne
* Science to the Country Mechanics' Institutes: 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 September, Victorian regional centres
* Australian Synchrotron Users Workshop, 5-6 December, Melbourne
* XAS Workshop, 7 December, Melbourne
3. MORE INFORMATION
* lightsources.org website
1. PROJECT UPDATE
Building completion
The building for the Australian Synchrotron was completed on schedule and officially opened by the Victorian Minister for Innovation, the Hon. John Brumby MP, on 20 March 2005. The occasion was marked with a unique opportunity for the public to walk through the storage ring tunnels before the installation of the storage ring components. Around 12,000 people from Melbourne, regional Victoria and interstate took advantage of the Open Day, recorded in photographs at /content.asp?Document_ID=2763
Installation progress
The full linac system installation is progressing on schedule. Power and signal cabling for the klystrons and their power supplies and controllers have been completed, and installation of the first accelerator components of the booster synchrotron has begun.
Power cabling for the magnets continues sector by sector, and sections of the storage ring vacuum vessels are being baked on site to eliminate stray gas molecules before the vacuum vessels are installed in the storage ring.
Magnets are arriving from CMS Alphatech/Buckley Systems, the New Zealand manufacturer, at Metaltec Precision International in Cheltenham (Melbourne)
where they are being built up on their girders. Metaltec is also progressing well with installation of the magnet pedestals in the storage ring.
Photographs of milestones in construction can be found at /content.asp?Document_ID=2465
Beamline experts recruited
A team of beamline experts has been recruited using a world-wide search. Working with Beamlines Integration Manager Andy Broadbent (formerly Oxford Danfysik and GMW in the USA) are:
- Julian Adams (Protein Crystallography Beamline Scientist, previously at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne);
- Chris Glover (XAS Beamline Scientist, previously at ANU Canberra and MaxLAB in Sweden);
- Kia Wallwork (Powder Diffraction Beamline Scientist, previously at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Sydney);
- Bruce Cowie (Soft X-ray Beamline Scientist, previously at the European Synchrotron facility (ESRF) in France and the Daresbury synchrotron (SRS) in UK).
The team is looking forward to the arrival in October of Mark Tobin (Infrared Beamline Scientist, from SRS in UK).
A list of Australian Synchrotron Project personnel can be found at /content.asp?Document_ID=129. Staff can be contacted via email to [email protected] or phone Freecall 1800-797-818 (city office) or (03) 8540 4100 (site office) (International +61-3-8540 4100).
Tenders
Tenders for the Protein Crystallography beamline and the Powder Diffraction beamline are undergoing evaluation.
Other beamline and insertion device tenders are being prepared or have recently been distributed.
Current tenders can be found on the Victorian Government tender website at www.tenders.vic.gov.au.
Relationships with leading international synchrotron facilities
Cooperative agreements have recently been established between the Australian Synchrotron and each of the world's largest light sources: SPring-8 (Japan), ESRF (France), and Advanced Photon Source (APS) (USA), and with the Beijing Synchrotron (BSRF), China. The Memoranda of Understanding establish a general framework of scientific collaboration in synchrotron science, specifically to combine expertise, to develop common specialised knowledge and increase cooperation and mutual support.
We have recently welcomed the following international visitors to the Australian Synchrotron: Dr Murray Gibson, Director APS; Prof. Ziyu Wu, Research Director, BSRF; Dr Bill Stirling, Director General, ESRF; Dr Akira Kira, Director General Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (SPring-8, JSSRI); Dr Osamu Shimomura, Director, JSSRI; and Dr Chris Hall, SRS Daresbury, UK.
In addition, official visitors to the Australian Synchrotron have included His Excellency Dato' Dr Shafie, Malaysian Minister for Higher Education, with an industry delegation from Malaysia; Mr Amirudin Abdul Aziz, Malaysian Consul (Industry) and Director, Malaysian Industrial Development Authority; Prof. Robert Farhi, Scientific Attache, Embassy of France; the Victorian Parliamentary Education & Training Committee; delegates to the Congress of the Australian Science Teachers Associations; delegates to the X05 (X-ray & Inner Shell Processes) conference; and the Monash Economic Development Forum.
Synchroton Industry Support Program Successes
An active industry engagement program is seen as a crucial component of the future Australian Synchrotron facility. The Industry Synchrotron Access Program, commenced in 2003, has so far seen 30 industrial research projects using overseas synchrotrons completed or in progress, with further projects
under consideration.
Projects have included, among others:
- investigating delamination of metal plating on plastics for MTM (automotive components) (see: /files/documents/Bright-metal-car-parts-Case-Study.pdf);
- study of fluid inclusions in ores for copper and gold exploration (Xstrata Copper; AngloGold);
- mapping elements in dental fillings to develop new filling materials, for Eastmac;
- a microtechnology multi-project wafer project for an industry consortium;
- comparisons of phosphorus fertilisers for Wesfarmers CSBP;
- analysis of magnesium alloy samples in automotive components, for Australian Magnesium.
For more information about the Industry Synchrotron Access program, contact Freecall 1800 797 818 (within Australia) or email [email protected].
Synchrotron science for Year 12 students
This year the Victorian Curriculum and Assesment Authority has introduced a 4-week Detailed Study "Synchrotron and its Applications" into the Year 12 (final year of secondary schooling) Physics curriculum. Sixty-one teachers from regional and metropolitan private and public schools attended a professional development workshop in July on the practical aspects of teaching the study, including a visit to the Australian Synchrotron facility.
A package of information for physics teachers is available from the Australian Synchrotron Project, email: [email protected].
There is also a wealth of information for students and teachers at /content.asp?Document_ID=153.
Community speakers
Good speakers are available to speak to community groups and school students about the Australian Synchrotron in non-technical language. There is no charge to the community group or school. Request a speaker by emailing [email protected] or Freecall 1800 797 818.
2. FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Free Public Lecture Series, Melbourne - Einstein's Lighthouse: The Australian Synchrotron.
Seven of Monash University's top researchers will enlighten you on the exciting and rewarding use of the synchrotron in their research. 7.30 - 8.30 pm, Monash University, Clayton. Bookings essential, phone (03) 9905 4613, or http://www.sci.monash.edu.au/lectureseries/index.html.
17 August: Nature's synchrotrons: super massive galactic black holes (Dr Rosemary Mardling)
24 August: Dr Einstein: the synchrotron in medicine (Dr Karen Siu)
31 August: Einstein, Pythagoras and dead stars (Dr Leo Brewin)
7 September: Einstein's microscope: illuminating billion-year-old rocks (Dr Andy Wilde)
14 September: Synchrotrons decoding the chemistry of life (Prof Don McNaughton, Dr Bayden Wood, Dr Philip Heraud)
Amazing World of Science Exhibition
17-21 August: Australian Synchrotron display, Canberra at the Australian Science Festival's "Amazing World of Science" (part of National Science Week), National Convention Centre, Canberra
Synchrotron Lithography workshop
Friday 2 September: Synchrotron Lithography workshop at MiniFab, 1 Dalmore Drive, "Caribbean Park", Scoresby, Victoria. Contact "MiniFab Lithography Workshop", phone (03) 9214 4442, email [email protected]. Registration available through the synchrotron website shortly: www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au
Science to the Country Mechanics' Institutes
An initiative to take science to the country. The first illustrated lecture series will be on the Australian Synchrotron at the following venues:
1 September: Stratford Mechanics' Institute, Stratford. Contact: Daryl Mildenhall, Stratford (03) 5145 6861 or (03) 5145 6489
6 September: Ballarat Mechanics' Institute, 117 Sturt Street, Ballarat. Contact: Dr Frank Hurley, Mt Helen (03) 5330 3052
7 September: Castlemaine Phee Broadway Theatre, Barker Street/Mechanics Lane, Castlemaine. Contact: Jenny McIntyre, Yandoit (03) 5476 4308 or 5434 1516.
8 September: Tatura Mechanics' Institute, Hogan Street, Tatura.
9 September: Beechworth Burke Museum, Loch Street, Beechworth. Contact: Anna Robbins (03) 5728 8067
This is an initiative of ANZAAS (Vic), Mechanics' Institutes of Victoria, Science Teachers' Assocation of Victoria and the Royal Society of Victoria, in conjunction with local and regional communities. General enquiries: Jim Lowden (03) 9873 7202, email [email protected]
ASRP/Australian Synchrotron Users Workshop
5-6 December 2005: Australian Synchrotron Users Workshop, The University of Melbourne. ADVANCE NOTICE of a joint workshop by the Australian Synchrotron Research Program and the Australian Synchrotron Project. If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Cath Kraina, [email protected]
X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Workshop
7 December 2005: XAS (X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy) Workshop, The University of Melbourne. ADVANCE NOTICE. More information will be emailed to subscribers and posted on the Australian Synchrotron website closer to the event.
3. MORE INFORMATION
Lightsources.org
A new collaborative website of major international synchrotron facilities has been launched at http://www.lightsources.org. The website provides the latest news and information on the world's accelerator-driven light sources (synchrotrons and free-electron lasers) and the science they produce. It was developed and is jointly maintained by the Light Source Communicators Group, whose members represent the world's light source facilities in Europe, North America and Australasia, including the Australian Synchrotron.