Projects

Experiments in support of basic research require that state-of-the-art facilities are built or existing facilities are modified to meet unique research requirements and keep the U.S. scientific enterprise world leading. Reactors, x-ray light sources, and pulsed neutron sources are among the expensive, but necessary, facilities required. The BES Scientific User Facility Division program funds the construction of and modification to these facilities.

The BES construction projects are conceived and planned with input from a broad user community and, during construction, are maintained on schedule and within cost. Furthermore, the construction projects adhere to the highest standards of safety. These facilities provide the research community with the tools to fabricate, characterize, and develop new materials and chemical processes to advance basic and applied research across the full range of scientific disciplines and technological research areas.

Details of SUF construction activities are contained in the BES budget request. Currently, the predominant construction project is the Linac Coherent Light Source II.

The Linac Coherent Light Source II (LCLS-II) is a project at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to construct a new high repetition rate x-ray free electron laser (XFEL). The new XFEL will replace the first kilometer of the existing warm copper linac with a 4 GeV superconducting linac to create the electron beam required for x-ray production in the 0.2–5 keV range with a repetition rate near 1 MHz. The new electron beam will be transported to the existing undulator hall and will be capable of feeding either of the two new variable gap undulators. At the completion of the LCLS-II project, the facility will operate two independent electron linacs and two independent x-ray sources, supporting up to six experiment stations and providing x-rays from 200 eV to 25,000 eV. A liquid helium refrigeration plant is required to cool the linac to superconducting temperatures and a building will be constructed to house the refrigeration plant equipment.

For more information about this research area, please contact Mr. Ed Stevens or Mr. Hannibal Joma.