Updates on Project BRIGHT and a 4th Generation Synchrotron for Australasia

Abstract

The Australian Synchrotron at ANSTO has been delivering strong science outcomes since it opened its doors in 2007. The current BRIGHT Program, increasing the facility’s capabilities from 10 to 18 beamlines, is an important part of continuing to support cutting edge research for the user community. Once complete, the full suite of beamlines will operate across six groups of methods: Crystallography, Imaging, Diffraction, Scattering, Microscopy, and Spectroscopy. We also expect that the Australian Synchrotron will reach an end of life by the late 2030s, by which time science drivers will demand more than the current facility can technologically deliver regardless of further upgrades. Synchrotron science and technology will have moved on significantly, and several 4th generation synchrotrons will have materialised around the world. It is thus time to think about how we could move to next generation synchrotron science in Australia and our region.

In this contribution, we will discuss first results and outputs of the new BRIGHT beamlines as well as other upgrade opportunities around the original beamlines. We will discuss the updates to the MCT, MEX1, MEX2 and BioSAXS user program, and then the current progress of the MX3, Nanoprobe, ADS1 and ADS2 beamlines. We will then discuss a few highlight projects that are upgrading the original capabilities, including the SXR, XAS and XFM capabilities.

We will also explore science and technology parameters for a new synchrotron lightsource. As next generation synchrotrons deliver significantly higher brightness and better photon beam coherence than our current facility, giving us access to time-resolved measurements at the millisecond scale, microscopy at low- or sub-nm resolution, and more.

This presentation seeks to showcase the recent and near future development at the Australian Synchrotron and to drive a dialogue with the broader community and solicit input into plans and proposals for a 4th generation synchrotron for Australasia.