NSLS Activity Report 2006 - Brookhaven National Laboratory

CHAIRMAN'S INTRODUCTION
Chi-Chang Kao
Chairman, National Synchrotron Light Source
As the NSLS continued its legacy of scientific
excellence in 2006, I was honored to be named
Chairman of the department after former Chair,
Steve Dierker, stepped down to lead the development
of NSLS-II. The NSLS is a very special place
with a long and exemplary tradition of innovation
in accelerator con cepts and technology, as well
as in the development of experimental techniques
and applications of synchrotron radiation. Moreover,
during the last quarter century, the NSLS has
been one of the most widely used and productive
scientific facilities in the world. The year 2006 was
no exception, with a record-high 921 publications
reported by our users and staff.
An impressive array of highlights is included in
this Activity Report to illustrate this extraordinary
productivity and its impact to science, technology,
and society. For example, one user group investigated
new materials for use in lithium-ion batteries,
the most common type of battery found in
portable electronics and the most promising type
for hybrid cars. Another user group determined the
atomic crystal structure and functional mechanism
of an enzyme essential for eliminating unwanted,
non-nutritional compounds such as drugs, industrial
chemicals, and toxic compounds from the
body. And in yet another interesting study, NSLS
staff and users made improvements to microbeam
radiation therapy, an experimental form of radiation
therapy that has been under investigation for
many years.
Chi-Chang Kao
1-3
As always, the success of these research projects
depends on the performance of the facility. Thanks
to the dedication and hard work of our staff, both
storage rings were in top form again this year
— reliability was 94.3 percent for the x-ray ring
and 97 percent for the VUV-IR ring. In addition,
we have made significant progress this year in
improving machine performance and reliability,
including klystron replacement, improving diagnostics
in the injection system, conducting an orbit
stability study, and commissioning the new X25
in-vacuum mini-gap undulator. Finally, to ensure
the long-term reliability of the NSLS accelerator
complex, Accelerator and Operation and Engineering
Division staff were charged to assess the
reliability risks and risk mitigation plans in preparation
for an external review.
In the area of safety, I am very pleased that there
were no reportable occurrences related to environmental,
safety, or health issues in 2006. In addition,
NSLS users and staff have worked more than
1,000 days without a lost-time injury, and counting.
This is a remarkable record and we should
all be proud of this accomplishment. But, we have
to continue to be vigilant and make sure safety
is integrated into everything that we do. A major
safety initiative lunched this year was the implementation
of an Electri cal Equipment Inspection
program at the NSLS. The goal of the program is
to review and inspect all electrical equip ment and
installations to ensure they are free from electrical
shock or fire.
Additionally, many beamline upgrade projects
were initiated or completed this year. The most
significant ones were the X25 beamline upgrade
and the construction of the X9 small-angle x-ray
scattering (SAXS) beamline. The X25 upgrade
was critically important for the NSLS to meet
the growing demand from the macromolecular
crystallography user community for high-brightness
beamlines, which are essential for tackling
the most challenging scientific problems. X9 will
be a new undulator-based beamline optimized
to provide SAXS and grazing incidence SAXS
capabilities for nano- and bioscience studies that
require high flux and/or small beam. The beamline
is a collaboration between the NSLS and Center
for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN). In 2006, with
the collaboration of the Case Center for Synchrotron
Biosciences, the existing X9 beamlines were
relocated to X3 to make room for the construction
of the new X9 beamline.
INTRODUCTION