APS (Advanced Photon Source)

APS (Advanced Photon Source)
Name	Advanced Photon Source
Established	1995
Location	Argonne National Laboratory
Type	Synchrotron radiation facility

APS (Advanced Photon Source) The Advanced Photon Source is a national synchrotron radiation facility located at Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago that provides high-brightness X-ray beams for scientific research. It serves a diverse community of users from institutions such as University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and MIT, and supports research that intersects projects at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and facilities like Diamond Light Source and European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The facility operates within the U.S. Department of Energy network and contributes to programs associated with Office of Science (United States Department of Energy) and collaborations with agencies such as National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.

Overview

The facility is a third-generation synchrotron storage ring designed to deliver high-brightness, high-energy X-ray beams for experiments in fields tied to Materials Research Division (Argonne National Laboratory), Chemistry Division (Argonne National Laboratory), and Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences Directorate (Argonne). Its user base includes scientists from Stanford University, Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, Princeton University, and industrial partners like General Electric, Boeing, and Pfizer. APS enables studies complementary to work at centers such as SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory and often features collaborations with consortia tied to American Physical Society, Materials Research Society, and American Chemical Society.

History and Development

Conceived in the 1980s, the project involved planners from Argonne National Laboratory, designers who coordinated with teams at CERN and DESY, and policy oversight from Congress of the United States. Construction phases involved firms and institutions including Bechtel, National Research Council (Canada), and contractors experienced from projects like Spallation Neutron Source and Tevatron. The facility reached operation in the 1990s under direction linked to U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science initiatives, and its development paralleled timelines at Photon Factory and SPring-8. Major milestones referenced collaborations with researchers affiliated with Bell Labs, IBM Research, and awardees of the Nobel Prize such as scientists who worked on synchrotron-related techniques.

Facility and Technical Specifications

The storage ring is a 7 GeV machine employing insertion devices including undulators and wigglers developed with engineering input from groups at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Beamlines host optics and detectors such as silicon microstrip detectors, CCD detectors, and cryogenic systems supplied by vendors with backgrounds in projects like Large Hadron Collider instrumentation. The complex includes experimental hutches, sample environments, and control systems built using software paradigms related to EPICS and computing clusters similar to those at National Center for Supercomputing Applications. Key hardware items reference magnet designs influenced by work at Fermilab and radiofrequency systems drawing on advances from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

Scientific Research and Applications

Research spans structural biology with techniques akin to methods used at European Molecular Biology Laboratory, condensed matter physics reflecting studies from Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, and chemistry paralleling work at California Institute of Technology. Experiments support studies in catalysis connected to researchers at Argonne Chemistry Division, battery research linked to Toyota, polymer science related to Dow Chemical Company, and nanoscience pursued by groups at MIT. Applications extend to geology with teams from United States Geological Survey, cultural heritage conservation similar to projects at British Museum, and pharmaceutical development involving collaborations with Merck and GlaxoSmithKline.

Operations and User Program

The user program manages peer-reviewed access modeled on systems used by European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and Diamond Light Source, coordinating proposal reviews with panels often populated by members from American Physical Society, American Chemical Society, and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Training and outreach engage students from University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, participants in programs supported by Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research initiatives, and visiting scientists funded by awards such as grants from National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. Operations rely on staffing structures comparable to those at Brookhaven National Laboratory and governance aligning with U.S. Department of Energy stewardship.

Upgrades and Future Plans

Major upgrade campaigns echo efforts at MAX IV Laboratory and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility Extremely Brilliant Source project, targeting enhanced brightness and coherence through lattice redesigns and new insertion-device technology developed in collaboration with universities like University of Wisconsin–Madison and firms that contributed to SPring-8 upgrades. Plans include beamline modernization similar to initiatives at Diamond Light Source and increased computational integration with resources such as Argonne Leadership Computing Facility and partnerships with Cray-class systems. Funding and strategic direction coordinate with stakeholders including Office of Science (United States Department of Energy), congressional appropriations, and international collaborators.

Safety and Environmental Considerations

Safety systems incorporate radiation protection programs consistent with standards from Nuclear Regulatory Commission (United States), emergency response protocols akin to those at Fermilab, and environmental compliance connected to Environmental Protection Agency (United States). Waste management and mitigation efforts reference practices used at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and environmental monitoring coordinated with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Worker training and hazardous materials handling follow guidelines established by Occupational Safety and Health Administration and best practices shared among national laboratory partners.

Category:Synchrotron radiation facilities Category:Argonne National Laboratory