Final Report Summary - ESRFUP (ESRF upgrade)
The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), located in Grenoble, France, is a joint facility set up by an intergovernmental convention, supported and shared by 18 European countries and Israel. It operates the most powerful high energy synchrotron light source in Europe and brings together a wide range of disciplines including physics, chemistry and materials science, biology, medicine, geophysics and archaeology. Many industrial applications also benefit from the ESRF's light source and expertise, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, petrochemicals and microelectronics. With some 6400 scientific user visits each year, resulting in more than 1500 refereed publications, the ESRF is recognised as one of the world's most innovative and productive synchrotron light sources. This success is also measured by requests for beam-time from the community of users of the ESRF, which consistently exceeds by far the beam-time available.
In order to maintain its leading role and to respond to emerging scientific challenges, the ESRF is planning and now executing an ambitious upgrade programme, comprising:
(i) the extension of the experimental hall to enable the construction of new and upgraded beamlines with largely improved performance and new scientific opportunities, as well as improved infrastructures for the preparation of experiments;
(ii) a programme of improvements of the accelerator complex; and
(iii) the development of productive science and technology driven partnerships with universities, research institutes and industrial partners.
The option for a joint high magnetic field laboratory with the neighbouring Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and other European high field laboratories is also being studied. The Upgrade will enable significant progress in fields such as nanoscience and nanotechnology, structural and functional biology, health, environment, energy and transport, information technology, and materials engineering.
Funds of EUR 4.99 million were granted by the European Commission (EC) within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) Capacities Theme (project acronym: ESRFUP) in September 2007 in order to prepare the ESRF upgrade in its various aspects. Work within ESRFUP comprised the preparation of the legal and technical aspects of the planned building extensions, development of a novel prototype radio-frequency cavity for the storage ring, as well as workshops to discuss the scientific cases for the newly built or upgraded experimental stations and the subsequent preparation of their technical design reports. Roadmaps for detector and data acquisition as well as information technology and data management were developed. Feasibility studies were undertaken for the evolution of the common site infrastructure (ESRF, ILL and European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)) in terms of harmonised user management and access, and for the possible location of a joint high magnetic field facility. Further actions targeted at increasing the capacity of the ESRF by fostering partnerships for science in specific areas and attracting new member countries and partners from academia and industry.
Project context and objectives:
The ESRF's 6 GeV storage-ring based synchrotron light source, operational since the early nineties, has been extremely successful in terms of both technical innovation and a very large volume of new and exciting science in fields as diverse as archaeology, biology, chemistry, materials, medicine, palaeontology, physics and many other disciplines, due to the unique combination of X-ray brilliance, source stability, energy spectrum, polarisation properties and overall reliability of the accelerator complex. With some 6400 scientific user visits each year, resulting in more than 1500 refereed publications, the ESRF is recognised as one of the world's most innovative and productive synchrotron light sources. Together with its two neighbouring institutes - ILL (the world leading neutron-beam facility) and the Grenoble outstation of the EMBL - which share the same site, now coined the European phonon and neutron science campus, the ESRF forms a centre of scientific excellence, unmatched in the world, offering a full range of support services for its visiting researchers.
In order to respond to the new scientific challenges and demands of the user community an upgraded source, new and improved beamlines, and optimised infrastructures are required. This effort has to be embedded in a collaborative network of scientific centres of excellence, not only involving the local partner institutes, but reaching out European-wide. This will enable researchers to exploit a world-wide unique scientific infrastructure and to continue to pursue world-leading research over the next 10 to 20 years. To this end a radical renewal and upgrade programme, requiring a major capital investment, which cannot be financed within the frame of the ESRF's current capital investment budget, is needed. Within this frame the ESRFUP project aims at preparing and catalysing this upgrade programme by a focused effort on the most important aspects:
- Preparation of the legal and technical aspects of the planned building and infrastructure extensions (WP2 and WP12)
Objectives:
i. Preparation of the call for tender exercise for the extension of the experimental hall (EX2), selection of the prime contractor, and delivery of the detailed building design report, including the legal building permit file (WP2).
ii. Elaboration of a partnership proposal for a joint high magnetic field laboratory and report on a prototype magnet design for the proposed facility (WP12).
- Preparation of the scientific cases and establishment of a set of conceptual and technical design reports for the upgrade of the experimental stations (WP4 and WP5)
Objective:
- Obtain feedback and critical input from the user community, develop strategies to cope with the technological challenges, establish a priority list for the beamlines to be upgraded, and to start the preparation of the technical design report for these beamlines.
- Feasibility studies concerning the evolution of the common site infrastructure with the aim to provide efficient (remote) access capabilities (WP7, WP9, WP10) and offer state-of-the-art data handling and archiving procedures (WP11)
Objectives:
- Analysis of the viability of a single point entry system for the ESRF and ILL facilities and specifications for a joint system (WP7)
- Specifications for a new scientific management information system (WP9).
- Definition of a common basis for advanced beamline instrumentation software for the ESRF and concertation with other synchrotron radiation centres in Europe (WP10)
- Assessment of the feasibility to participate in the Enable Grids for eScience (EGEE) grid initiative (WP11)
- Development of know-how and strategies in accelerator and detector technology (WP6 and WP13)
Objectives:
- Definition of detector requirements for the future experiments at ESRF and preparation of a pan-European detector development strategy (WP6).
- Design validation of a novel type of radiofrequency cavity to allow the storage ring to operate at a significantly higher current (WP13)
- Enhancement of ESRF's capacity (WP8)
Objectives:
- Analysis of the present and future requirements of the ESRF community and general trends in research with synchrotron
- Prospection for new member countries to the ESRF and efforts to attract partners who are willing to partly or fully operate an ESRF experimental station
- Fostering and preparation of partnerships in specific areas of science with academia and industry which shall enable researchers to fully exploit the unique capabilities of the epn campus
- Dissemination of material describing and advertising the upgrade (WP3)
Objective:
- Provide the governing body, the scientific user community, and the general public with detailed information on all the aspects of the upgrade.
Beyond these activities, fully or to a large extent funded by the EC, additional work within the frame of the ESRF upgrade needs to be conducted:
- Dissemination of the Purple Book (WP14)
Objective:
The proposed ESRF upgrade programme in all its technical, administrative and scientific aspects is laid out in the so called Purple Book (approximately 400 pages) which shall be distributed to the members of the ESRF council and advisory committees, as well as the ESRF user community and policy makers.
- Staff planning and project management (WP15)
Objective:
Study and implementation of a project oriented organisation in parallel to the classical structure by divisions and services.
- Development of know-how and strategies in nanotechnology (WP16 and WP17)
Objectives:
- Development of concepts, hardware and software components, indispensable for experiments involving nano-sized X-ray beams.
- Development of micro- and nano electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS) for the conditioning of X-rays.
Project website: http://www.esrf.eu/AboutUs/Upgrade
In order to maintain its leading role and to respond to emerging scientific challenges, the ESRF is planning and now executing an ambitious upgrade programme, comprising:
(i) the extension of the experimental hall to enable the construction of new and upgraded beamlines with largely improved performance and new scientific opportunities, as well as improved infrastructures for the preparation of experiments;
(ii) a programme of improvements of the accelerator complex; and
(iii) the development of productive science and technology driven partnerships with universities, research institutes and industrial partners.
The option for a joint high magnetic field laboratory with the neighbouring Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and other European high field laboratories is also being studied. The Upgrade will enable significant progress in fields such as nanoscience and nanotechnology, structural and functional biology, health, environment, energy and transport, information technology, and materials engineering.
Funds of EUR 4.99 million were granted by the European Commission (EC) within the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) Capacities Theme (project acronym: ESRFUP) in September 2007 in order to prepare the ESRF upgrade in its various aspects. Work within ESRFUP comprised the preparation of the legal and technical aspects of the planned building extensions, development of a novel prototype radio-frequency cavity for the storage ring, as well as workshops to discuss the scientific cases for the newly built or upgraded experimental stations and the subsequent preparation of their technical design reports. Roadmaps for detector and data acquisition as well as information technology and data management were developed. Feasibility studies were undertaken for the evolution of the common site infrastructure (ESRF, ILL and European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)) in terms of harmonised user management and access, and for the possible location of a joint high magnetic field facility. Further actions targeted at increasing the capacity of the ESRF by fostering partnerships for science in specific areas and attracting new member countries and partners from academia and industry.
Project context and objectives:
The ESRF's 6 GeV storage-ring based synchrotron light source, operational since the early nineties, has been extremely successful in terms of both technical innovation and a very large volume of new and exciting science in fields as diverse as archaeology, biology, chemistry, materials, medicine, palaeontology, physics and many other disciplines, due to the unique combination of X-ray brilliance, source stability, energy spectrum, polarisation properties and overall reliability of the accelerator complex. With some 6400 scientific user visits each year, resulting in more than 1500 refereed publications, the ESRF is recognised as one of the world's most innovative and productive synchrotron light sources. Together with its two neighbouring institutes - ILL (the world leading neutron-beam facility) and the Grenoble outstation of the EMBL - which share the same site, now coined the European phonon and neutron science campus, the ESRF forms a centre of scientific excellence, unmatched in the world, offering a full range of support services for its visiting researchers.
In order to respond to the new scientific challenges and demands of the user community an upgraded source, new and improved beamlines, and optimised infrastructures are required. This effort has to be embedded in a collaborative network of scientific centres of excellence, not only involving the local partner institutes, but reaching out European-wide. This will enable researchers to exploit a world-wide unique scientific infrastructure and to continue to pursue world-leading research over the next 10 to 20 years. To this end a radical renewal and upgrade programme, requiring a major capital investment, which cannot be financed within the frame of the ESRF's current capital investment budget, is needed. Within this frame the ESRFUP project aims at preparing and catalysing this upgrade programme by a focused effort on the most important aspects:
- Preparation of the legal and technical aspects of the planned building and infrastructure extensions (WP2 and WP12)
Objectives:
i. Preparation of the call for tender exercise for the extension of the experimental hall (EX2), selection of the prime contractor, and delivery of the detailed building design report, including the legal building permit file (WP2).
ii. Elaboration of a partnership proposal for a joint high magnetic field laboratory and report on a prototype magnet design for the proposed facility (WP12).
- Preparation of the scientific cases and establishment of a set of conceptual and technical design reports for the upgrade of the experimental stations (WP4 and WP5)
Objective:
- Obtain feedback and critical input from the user community, develop strategies to cope with the technological challenges, establish a priority list for the beamlines to be upgraded, and to start the preparation of the technical design report for these beamlines.
- Feasibility studies concerning the evolution of the common site infrastructure with the aim to provide efficient (remote) access capabilities (WP7, WP9, WP10) and offer state-of-the-art data handling and archiving procedures (WP11)
Objectives:
- Analysis of the viability of a single point entry system for the ESRF and ILL facilities and specifications for a joint system (WP7)
- Specifications for a new scientific management information system (WP9).
- Definition of a common basis for advanced beamline instrumentation software for the ESRF and concertation with other synchrotron radiation centres in Europe (WP10)
- Assessment of the feasibility to participate in the Enable Grids for eScience (EGEE) grid initiative (WP11)
- Development of know-how and strategies in accelerator and detector technology (WP6 and WP13)
Objectives:
- Definition of detector requirements for the future experiments at ESRF and preparation of a pan-European detector development strategy (WP6).
- Design validation of a novel type of radiofrequency cavity to allow the storage ring to operate at a significantly higher current (WP13)
- Enhancement of ESRF's capacity (WP8)
Objectives:
- Analysis of the present and future requirements of the ESRF community and general trends in research with synchrotron
- Prospection for new member countries to the ESRF and efforts to attract partners who are willing to partly or fully operate an ESRF experimental station
- Fostering and preparation of partnerships in specific areas of science with academia and industry which shall enable researchers to fully exploit the unique capabilities of the epn campus
- Dissemination of material describing and advertising the upgrade (WP3)
Objective:
- Provide the governing body, the scientific user community, and the general public with detailed information on all the aspects of the upgrade.
Beyond these activities, fully or to a large extent funded by the EC, additional work within the frame of the ESRF upgrade needs to be conducted:
- Dissemination of the Purple Book (WP14)
Objective:
The proposed ESRF upgrade programme in all its technical, administrative and scientific aspects is laid out in the so called Purple Book (approximately 400 pages) which shall be distributed to the members of the ESRF council and advisory committees, as well as the ESRF user community and policy makers.
- Staff planning and project management (WP15)
Objective:
Study and implementation of a project oriented organisation in parallel to the classical structure by divisions and services.
- Development of know-how and strategies in nanotechnology (WP16 and WP17)
Objectives:
- Development of concepts, hardware and software components, indispensable for experiments involving nano-sized X-ray beams.
- Development of micro- and nano electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS) for the conditioning of X-rays.
Project website: http://www.esrf.eu/AboutUs/Upgrade
