Australian synchrotron makes rapid progress

The $206 million (US $150 million) Australian synchrotron project has reached a significant milestone with the recent announcement of all major contracts for the synchrotron machine. These include a $10.5 million contract with Toshiba International Corporation Ltd to supply the machine's radiofrequency (RF) system and $39.4 million for building and associated facilities (Thiess). The Australian synchrotron is based on the Boomerang storage ring which has a double-bend achromat structure, a circumference of 216 m with 12 useable straight sections and an emittance of 7 nm rad. The storage ring will be fed by a full energy booster synchrotron that in turn will be fed by a 100 MeV linac. This is to be supplied by Danfysik for $22.4 million as a turn-key injection system. The progress on building work has been rapid since the award of the building contract last year. The outer shell of the building is almost complete, as shown in the photograph below. The synchrotron is expected to open for users in 2007, as are Diamond in the UK and SOLEIL in France (2006) [see J. Synchrotron Rad. (2004). 11, 366].

Figure 1 Outer shell of the Australian synchrotron building.