First Photons Detected at NSLS-II

November 19, 2014

The team of scientists, engineers, and technicians at the Coherent Soft X-ray Scattering (CSX) beamline gathered around the control station to watch as group leader Stuart Wilkins (seated, front) opened the shutter between the beamline and the storage ring, allowing x-rays to enter the first optical enclosure for the first time.

The brightest synchrotron light source in the world has delivered its first x-ray beams. Brookhaven Lab’s National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) achieved “first light” on October 23, 2014, when operators opened the shutter to begin commissioning the first experimental station (beamline) allowing powerful x-rays to travel to a phosphor detector and capture the facility’s first photons. While considerable work remains to realize the full potential of the new facility, first light counts as an important step on the road to facility commissioning.

“This is a significant milestone for Brookhaven Lab, for the Department of Energy, and for the nation,” said DOE Associate Director of Science for Basic Energy Science Harriet Kung. “The National Synchrotron Light Source II will foster new discoveries and create breakthroughs in crucial areas of national need, including energy security and the environment. This new U.S. user facility will advance the Department’s mission and play a leadership role in enabling and producing high-impact research for many years to come.”

To read more visit: www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11677

2014-5367  |  INT/EXT  |  Newsroom