AUSTRALIAN SYNCHROTRON UPDATE -- DECEMBER 2005
News from the Australian Synchrotron project, featuring:
1. Installation Progress
2. Beamline News
3. Users News
* ASRP/Australian Synchrotron User Workshop
* Australian Synchrotron Science Director
* SA and WA Synchrotron Users Networks
* Decadal Planning for Synchrotron Capabilities
* ASRP PhD Thesis Medal Winners 2004 and 2005
4. National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy
5. Relationships with International Facilities
6. Synchrotron Industry Support Access Successes
7. Coming Events
* SRI-2006, Korea: Abstract deadline 31 December
* ASRP Support Grants for SRI-2006
8. Office Hours over Christmas and New Year
9. Australian Synchrotron contact details
10. How to subscribe/unsubscribe to Australian Synchrotron Update
1. INSTALLATION PROGRESS
Commissioning of the linear accelerator (linac) achieved a milestone last night (early hours of 15 December) when the first electrons at energy of 50 MeV — i.e. half of the final beam energy — were created in the first half of the linac. Commissioning will continue towards achieving the next step: to get the beam of electrons to the end of the linac. Photographs marking the event are at: /content.asp?Document_ID=4302
The ninth set of magnets has been installed in Sector 14, and the second straight chamber has been installed in Sector 6. More than half of the storage ring magnets are now installed.
The Australian Synchrotron project won the Industry Capability Network (ICN) Industry Achievement Award for outstanding application of the Victorian Industry Participation Policy. ICN is a national network promoting import replacement. One of the synchrotron suppliers, Metaltec Precision International, won the ICN Industry Achievement Award for small to medium enterprises, for its innovative array of girders to support and precisely align the storage ring magnets.
The site construction team, led by Thiess, is celebrating 600 days with no lost days for injury, as a result of their OH&S approach throughout the construction phase of the project including the period before machinery installation. The Thiess team has decided to donate their outstanding achievement "recognition gift" to two charities.
2. BEAMLINE NEWS
The Queensland Government announced on 8 November 2005 that it would form a consortium with Queensland universities to contribute $5 million in beamline funding, bringing total commitments by our funding partners to $35 million. Other funding partners are: New Zealand, ANSTO, the Association of Australian Medical Research Institute, CSIRO, the University of Melbourne, and Monash University who are each contributing $5 million to the beamlines project.
Tenders for beamline hutches have been received and are being evaluated. Construction of the first beamline equipment was completed this week — a robotic loader for Beamline 1, the Protein Crystallography beamline.
BL1, High throughput Protein Crystallography: The Minister for Innovation announced that the contracts for the high throughput protein crystallography and powder diffraction beamlines had been awarded to Oxford-Danfysik.
BL3, Powder Diffraction: The Minister for Innovation announced that the contracts for the high throughput protein crystallography and powder diffraction beamlines had been awarded to Oxford-Danfysik
BL4, Small and Wide Angle Scattering: Dr Nigel Kirby, currently an Australian Synchrotron Research Project Fellow at Curtin University, has been appointed as beamline scientist for SAXS/WAXS.
BL5, Xray Absorption Spectroscopy: The Minister for Innovation announced that Accel would build the x-ray absorption spectroscopy beamline. Tenders for the XAS wiggler are in the early stages of evaluation.
BL6, Soft Xray spectroscopy: The contract for the undulator for the soft x-ray beamline has been awarded to Danfysik. Tenders for the soft x-ray beamline are in the early stages of evaluation.
BL 8, Infrared Spectroscopy: The Request for Tenders for the infrared beamline was issued.
BL 10, Imaging and Medical Therapy: The imaging and therapy beamline group organised a highly successful international workshop on the future applications of the beamline in imaging and therapy, Melbourne 4 December. Five of the 6 talks presented were by international experts. Workshop attendees were treated to a wonderful review of the kind of work that will be possible on the Australian imaging and therapy beamline. The international experts confirmed that the design of the Australian imaging and therapy beamline is world class.
3. USERS NEWS
ASRP/Australian Synchrotron User Workshop
A highly successful joint Australian Synchrotron Research Program/Australian Synchrotron User Workshop was held at Melbourne University, 5-7 December, attracting more than 250 participants. National and international speakers spoke about leading edge synchrotron science in areas such as imaging, the action of anti-cancer agents, nutrient induced changes in living cells and the use of synchrotron light in forensic investigations. The meeting also heard from frontline international scientists visiting Australia for discussions on beamline development.
Many thanks to all the speakers, poster presenters, organisers and sponsors who worked so hard to make the workshop so informative and enjoyable.
Photographs of the event can be viewed at at: /content.asp?Document_ID=4205
Australian Synchrotron Science Director
The position of Science Director for the Australian Synchrotron was advertised in The Age and The Australian newspapers on 12 November, and in online employment advertisements of various international science journals and lightsources.org as well as being listed on the Australian Synchrotron website, www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au
SA and WA Synchrotron Users Networks
South Australian synchrotron users now have their own website, accessible through the homepage of the Australian Synchrotron website (or direct at /content.asp?Document_ID=4136). South Australian based users and potential users are urged to register online to receive special information about South Australian synchrotron-related events, news and support through SASUN.
The Western Australian Synchrotron Users Network (WASUN) is also developing a similar sub-site.
Decadal Planning for Synchrotron Capabilities
The Australian synchrotron science community has formed an expert subcommittee to examine and provide advice on future trends for synchrotron science and associated needs and developments for the next decade. The committee is currently seeking input into their terms of reference. Lodge your response on-line from the following page: /content.asp?Document_ID=4293
The terms of reference for the committee are as follows, and more details are available on the web page:
- Identify emerging science trends
- Suggest future beamline requirements
- Recommend a development strategy for using new methods
- Evaluate requirements for ongoing access to international facilities
ASRP PhD Thesis Medal Winners 2004 and 2005
The ASRP PhD Thesis Medal is awarded annually for the best thesis based on synchrotron research at ASRP facilities submitted over the preceeding 2 years. The award alternates between the life sciences and physical/chemical sciences. At the ASRP/Australian Synchrotron Users Meeting, ASRP Director Dr Richard Garrett presented both the 2004 and 2005 medals.
The 2004 life sciences medal was awarded to Dr Mathew Hall for his thesis entitled "The Biological Fate of Platinum IV Anticancer Complexes". Matthew completed his thesis at the University of Sydney under the supervision of Prof Trevor Hampbley.
The 2005 physical/chemical sciences medal was awarded to Dr Stephen Mudie whose thesis was titled "Characterisation of Group III Nitrides Using Hard X-ray Synchrotron Radiation". Stephen did his PhD at Monash University under the supervision of Prof Michael Morgan and Dr Konstantin Pavlov. Both medalists then gave presentations outlining their PhD research.
4. NATIONAL COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY
A joint submission by the Australian Synchrotron National Scientific Advisory Committee and the Australian Synchrotron Research Program, responding to the draft strategic roadmap for the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and underlining the importance of synchrotron techniques for Australian science, was lodged on Friday 9 December.
5. RELATIONSHIPS WITH INTERNATIONAL FACILITIES
Dr Bill Thomlinson, Executive Director of the Canadian Light Source, visiting Melbourne as lead speaker at the user workshop, signed an MOU on scientific collaboration with the Australian Synchrotron, and discussed scientist exchange with Secretary of the Victorian Department of Innovation, Industry & Regional Development, Ms Fran Thorn.
We have recently welcomed a number of international visitors for technical visits to the Australian Synchrotron, including: a group of Research Provosts from leading US universities, hosted by Australia's G8 universities; Prof Keith Hodgson, Deputy Director, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and Director of their Photon Science Division; and delegations from Japan and Israel; in addition to visitors attending the ASRP/Australian Synchrotron Users Workshop (photos at /content.asp?Document_ID=4205) and participants in the international imaging and medical therapy workshop (see above).
6. SYNCHROTRON INDUSTRY SUPPORT PROGRAM SUCCESSES
Further industry synchrotron access projects have been taken forward recently, including:
- Chromium analysis in soil remediation experiments - LaTrobe University and ERM Pty Ltd
- High resolution x-ray diffraction and x-ray diffraction mapping of mineral samples - CRC for Predictive Mineral Discovery and Curtin University for industrial clients
- Microfabrication of NanotrekTM devices - Quantum Precision Instruments
- Characterisation of nanoparticles - Monash University and NanoVic
- A collaboration between LaTrobe University, the Australian Synchrotron Project and Northlink / NIETL has been established to take forward more industry synchrotron access projects, particularly targeting businesses in Melbourne's north. This program will take advantage of the analytical facilities available at LaTrobe's Centre for Materials and Surface Science,in addition to synchrotron techniques.
For more information about the Industry Synchrotron Access program, contact Freecall 1800 797 818 (within Australia) or email contact.us@synchrotron.vic.gov.au.
7. FORTHCOMING EVENTS
SRI-2006, Korea: Abstract deadline 31 December
Abstract submissions for SRI-2006, the 9th International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation to be held in Daegu, Korea (28 May - 2 June 2006), are due by December 31. They should be submitted through the conference web site, http://www.sri2006.org/ . The international SRI conferences are the most comprehensive synchrotron meetings and are an excellent place to present both novel experimental and instrumentation results. Australian synchrotron users are urged to consider participating.
ASRP Support Grants for SRI-2006
To support Australian involvement in SRI-2006, the ASRP has decided to offer ten travel support grants of $1,000 each to Australian-based early career scientists who will present their synchrotron work at the conference (oral or poster presentations). If you are interested, you should submit an abstract to the conference, and email Margaret Edmondson (mae@ansto.gov.au)indicating your interest.
8. CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR
The staff of the Australian Synchrotron project wish all our 'Synchrotron Update' readers a very happy Christmas and New Year. Thank you for your interest in the Australian Synchrotron and we look forward to sharing more good news about this exciting project with you in 2006.
9. MORE INFORMATION
A list of Australian Synchrotron Project personnel can be found at: /content.asp?Document_ID=129.
Email: contact.us@synchrotron.vic.gov.au
Telephone: Freecall 1800-797-818 (city office); (03) 8540 4100 (site office) (International +61-3-8540 4100).