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Following the Long Installation and Maintenance Period, research at the world's largest X-ray laser will resume shortly.
European XFEL today celebrated the restart of the world's largest X-ray laser with a ceremony attended by Hamburg's Senator for Science Maryam Blumenthal and Guido Wendt, State Secretary in Schleswig-Holstein's Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Culture. This was preceded by a so-called Long Installation and Maintenance Period (LIMP) with maintenance work and numerous upgrades to the infrastructure in underground tunnels and the scientific instruments on the European XFEL campus.
Employees of European XFEL and DESY, who were significantly involved in the extensive work, watched as Blumenthal and Wendt started the electron accelerator with a click of a mouse. Electron packets now speed again through the accelerator section to the so-called dump after about two-thirds of the 3.4-kilometre-long facility. The remaining parts of the X-ray laser, where the X-ray light is generated using the accelerated electrons, and the experiment stations will go into operation in the coming days and weeks. After more than seven months, the facility will be available to researchers again from mid-April.
At the ceremony in the Lighthouse visitor centre, European XFEL Managing Director Prof. Thomas Feurer emphasized the importance of the modification and upgrade work for the long-term performance, reliability and scientific excellence of the large-scale research facility. In addition to the successful maintenance work, for which the accelerator, which normally operates at minus 271 degrees Celsius, was warmed to room temperature and then cooled down again, teams from European XFEL and the DESY research centre installed numerous technical innovations to further expand the research options at the X-ray laser. Important upgrades include the new GUN5 electron source, which enables a pulse rate that is around 30 percent higher, and the expansion of beamlines and instruments for attosecond experiments, which can be used to observe ultrafast processes such as the formation of chemical bonds. In addition, preparatory work has been completed for the installation of superconducting undulators, which will deliver particularly short and highly intense X-ray pulses with very short wavelengths, enabling researchers to achieve even better resolution, among other things.
In his speech, Thomas Feurer emphasized the smooth cooperation between all those involved: "The work of the past few months has been an extraordinary joint effort by European XFEL and DESY, involving many teams from different disciplines. All those involved deserve great thanks and recognition for their commitment, technical expertise and perseverance. This success means that we can now start a new phase of scientific operations on schedule, opening up unique, excellent research opportunities for users of our facility worldwide and further strengthening Europe's leading position in research with X-rays."
Science Senator Maryam Blumenthal: “The research opportunities at European XFEL are unique and attract scientists from all over the world. The team spirit that exists here in the immediate neighbourhood to DESY inspires and strengthens our research location. The upgrade of the X-ray laser now enables completely new experiments here in the Science City. I look forward to the results and congratulate everyone involved on the successful restart!”
"The restart of the European XFEL sends a strong signal for international cutting-edge research in Europe. It shows that long-term investments in large research infrastructures and reliable partnerships create a solid foundation for scientific progress," said Guido Wendt, State Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Culture of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, emphasizing the significance of European XFEL.
Prof. Wim Leemans, Director of the DESY Accelerator Division, said: "With its new electron source and the comprehensive upgrades that our teams have installed in the European XFEL, the X-ray laser is now more powerful and reliable than ever before. Together with DESY's light sources, this unique machine forms the foundation for northern Germany's status as a global powerhouse for X-ray research."
With the restart of the European XFEL, researchers from all over the world can now once again use both the state-of-the-art infrastructure and the expertise of the employees for their cutting-edge research. Known as beamtime, research stays usually last one week, are awarded on the basis of scientific excellence and are in high demand.
https://www.xfel.eu/news_and_events/news/index_eng.html?openDirectAnchor=2955&am...
Winni Decking (DESY), Hamburg's Senator for Science Maryam Blumenthal and Guido Wendt, State Secreta ...
Copyright: European XFEL
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