ALBA Synchrotron is one The most important scientific infrastructures in the Mediterranean. Opened in 2010We are facing a linear electron accelerator with a radius of 270 meters and a beam of up to 3 giga electron volts is generated there.
Light lines are very useful for branches like biology, condensed matter or materials science. More than 2,000 researchers benefit from the synchrotron each year. But now it’s decided it’s time for Alpha to move on.
The project is under renovation. ALBA II will be a new location twice as large at 80,000 square meters. Apart from the synchrotron, a science park will be built to house the institutes and other research projects.
It doesn’t happen overnight. It is scheduled for 2031. Total Eight years and an investment of around 120 million euros To convert the current third generation synchrotron to the fourth generation. The current synchrotron will continue to operate until 2029, when it will be shut down for a year and replaced with a new one.
Where is the change? The goal is to get a more focused and brighter electron beam. Imaging objects with a resolution of 20-30 nanometers is now achievable with ALBA II A resolution between 2 and 3 nanometers is expected.
It’s not the only synchrotron to be upgraded. There are already two (Sweden and Brazil) in the world using the new electron accelerator technology, Caterina Biscari explains, ALBA director, to La Vanguardia. The likes of the SLS in Switzerland and the Electra in Italy are expected to enter the fourth generation by 2025. There are about 40 synchrotron accelerators in the world and ALBA is the largest and most advanced in Southern Europe.
ALBA II will serve Using synchrotron light in new areas Whether it’s climate change, health or energy, it helps us discover new drugs and understand complex phenomena.
Many components will be changed for the restoration. A prototype of the new synchrotron will be built with magnetic systems, power supplies, vacuum chambers, a superconducting undulator and a nano-positioning lab to ensure stability at nanometric levels.
“Facilities like the synchrotron are future projects for the country, allowing us to continue to move forward and be part of the solution. Above all, we must take this leap in the ability to remain at the frontier of knowledge that will provide a service to the sustainability of the future. exposes Biscari A new Barcelona post.
ALBA’s workforce is expected to grow to 200 to 300 workers. An increase in personnel for a scientific project that is one of the best references of Spanish science.
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