Component will enable increased current in the storage ring, ensuring a higher photon flux for the beamlines
Between August and October of this year, the Sirius accelerators will undergo an important maintenance period. During these months, new components will be installed in the storage ring. By significantly increasing the photon flux to the beamlines, these changes will bring various benefits to users, such as faster experiments and higher temporal resolution.
New superconducting radiofrequency cavity
One of the main activities during this machine shutdown is the installation of a new superconducting radiofrequency cavity, which operates at cryogenic temperatures. “This advanced system will allow a significant increase in the current of the storage ring, resulting in a proportional increase in the flux of the beamlines. Currently, Sirius operates with a current limited to 100 mA. With the new cavity, this capacity can be increased to up to 350 mA, which will represent a 3.5-fold increase in synchrotron light flux at the experimental stations,” explained Harry Westfahl Jr., director of the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS).
This increase will occur gradually. After operations resume in the second half of 2024, the current will be raised to approximately 200 mA. To reach 350 mA, new installations will need to be carried out during phase 2 of the project.
In addition to installing the new cavity, the helium liquefaction plant, necessary to cool the superconducting cavity, will be integrated into the system. “This integration process will consume much of the time and effort during this shutdown, so it was necessary to concentrate all these activities in a single prolonged period,” added Westfahl.
New insertion devices for beamlines
During the shutdown, new insertion devices will be installed. The Ema and Sapucaia beamlines will receive new devices, drastically increasing the photon flux and bringing various benefits to the experiments. “With the installation of these new undulators, the flux in the Ema beamline, for example, will increase enormously, allowing experiments that previously took an hour to be performed in minutes,” said the director.
Start of frontend installations for the Orion beamlines
Another significant advancement during this shutdown is the completion of the frontend installations for the Jatobá and Sapê beamlines, as well as the start of frontend installations for the Orion-connected beamlines: Sibipiruna, Hibisco, and Timbó.
Frontends are the components responsible for connecting the storage ring to the beamlines, ensuring the necessary radiological protection for safe operation, monitoring the position of the generated beam, and thermal control. “These installations are essential for the completion of phase 1 of the Sirius project and for the future connection with the maximum biological containment laboratory,” said Harry Westfahl Jr. “This represents an important milestone in our development schedule.”
Orion will be a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. The project includes unprecedented maximum biological containment (BSL-4) facilities in Latin America, and the first in the world connected to a synchrotron light source, Sirius. The complex will also feature BSL-2 and BSL-3 spaces, basic research laboratories, analytical techniques, and advanced competencies for biological imaging, such as microscopy.
The activities carried out during this period reinforce CNPEM’s commitment to providing state-of-the-art infrastructure for the scientific community, promoting significant advances in research and innovation. “These shutdowns are an integral part of the life cycle of any synchrotron, and longer shutdowns generally mean significant improvements in the performance and capacity of the accelerator. We will continue to make these updates to ensure that Sirius remains at the forefront of scientific research,” concluded Harry.
About LNLS
The Brazilian Synchrotron Light National Laboratory (LNLS) works with scientific research and technological development that involves synchrotron light, focusing on the operation and utilization of the multidisciplinary potential of Sirius, the country’s most advanced scientific infrastructure. With ten research stations already online and open to the scientific and industrial communities, Sirius allows thousands of researchers from various areas to test their hypotheses about the microscopic mechanisms that produce the properties of both natural and synthetic materials which are used in a variety of fields such as health, the environment, energy, and agriculture. LNLS is part of the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) in Campinas, São Paulo, a private, non-profit organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI).
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment and works on different fronts within the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently constructing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation. It is responsible for operating the Brazilian Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), and Biorenewables (LNBR) National Laboratories, as well as the Ilum School of Science, which offers a bachelor’s degree program in science and technology with support from the Ministry of Education (MEC).
