BESSY II

BESSY II
Name	BESSY II
Caption	Synchrotron source at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
Established	1998
Location	Adlershof, Berlin
Type	Synchrotron radiation facility

BESSY II BESSY II is a third-generation synchrotron radiation facility located in Adlershof near Berlin that provides intense X-ray and ultraviolet beams for research across physics, chemistry, materials science, and life sciences. The facility is operated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and serves users from institutions such as the Max Planck Society, Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, Fraunhofer Society, and numerous international laboratories in Europe. BESSY II supports experiments in areas linked to projects like the European XFEL, the DESY research infrastructure, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and collaborative initiatives with facilities such as the ESRF and SOLEIL.

Overview

BESSY II functions as a storage-ring-based third-generation synchrotron source delivering highly brilliant beams used by users from the Helmholtz Association, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Fritz Haber Institute, and industrial partners like BASF and Siemens. The site at Adlershof is integrated into regional networks including the Berlin Institute of Health and the Science and Technology Park Adlershof, and it contributes to continental collaborations involving the European Commission and the CERN community. The facility’s layout and user program intersect with initiatives such as the Human Frontier Science Program, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and bilateral agreements with institutes like the National Institutes of Health.

History and Development

The conceptualization of the facility traces to planning efforts by the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung and later coordination with the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft leading to construction in the 1990s and commissioning in 1998, in the context of contemporaneous projects like the ESRF upgrade and the rise of third-generation sources such as APS, SPring-8, and Diamond Light Source. Key figures and institutions involved included engineers and scientists from the Technische Universität Berlin, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Max Planck Institutes, and policy oversight by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Senate of Berlin. Over time, collaborations expanded to include international partners from Japan, United States, United Kingdom, France, and Sweden and interfaced with programs like the European Research Council and the Horizon 2020 framework.

Accelerator Design and Technology

The machine is a storage ring based on concepts employed at facilities like ESRF and ALS, using a multi-bend achromat-like lattice heritage shared with SPring-8 and APS-U developments, and incorporating systems from suppliers and collaborators including Siemens, Thales, and Bruker. Core components and subsystems trace engineering lineages to designs tested at DESY, CERN, and Forschungszentrum Jülich featuring radiofrequency systems, vacuum technology, insertion devices, and beam diagnostics similar to those at SOLEIL and ELETTRA. The injector complex reflects practices used at DORIS and PETRA III, with electron guns and booster synchrotrons analogous to installations at Diamond Light Source and BESSY I predecessors. Control systems follow standards influenced by work at SLAC and Argonne National Laboratory, and beam stability strategies draw on techniques developed at LCLS and European XFEL.

Beamlines and Experimental Facilities

Beamlines at the site support experimental endstations for spectroscopy, scattering, imaging, and microscopy comparable to setups at ESRF, Diamond Light Source, SOLEIL, and APS. Notable beamline classes include angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy facilities similar to those at MAX IV and ELETTRA, X-ray absorption and emission stations akin to SPring-8 beamlines, and coherent scattering instruments reflecting capabilities at LCLS and FLASH. The experimental infrastructure integrates detectors and sample environments from vendors and groups such as Dectris, Pilatus, Bruker, and research teams from Max Planck Institutes and Universität Hamburg; user support and data management align with protocols used by ESRF and European XFEL user offices.

Scientific Research and Applications

Research performed with beams covers condensed matter physics, catalysis, battery research, and structural biology, tying into programs led by the Max Planck Society, the Helmholtz Association, and consortia such as the Batteries Europe initiative and collaborations with companies like Volkswagen and BASF. Studies at the facility contribute to understanding phenomena investigated at the CERN materials program, the Human Brain Project neuroimaging efforts, and the Graphene Flagship; they support applied research in photovoltaics relevant to Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and catalysis linked to the Chemical Industry. Structural investigations intersect with databases and standards maintained by entities like the Protein Data Bank and partnerships with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry.

Operations, Upgrades, and Future Plans

Operational management follows governance models used by the Helmholtz Zentrum network and funding arrangements similar to those at DESY and ESRF; maintenance, user access, and training programs coordinate with initiatives from the European Commission and national science agencies such as the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. Upgrade efforts have drawn on technological roadmaps associated with APS-U, MAX IV, and SPring-8 to improve brightness, coherence, and timing, with collaborative R&D involving Forschungszentrum Jülich, Technische Universität Darmstadt, and industry partners like Siemens and Thales. Future planning contemplates integration with pan-European infrastructures, connections to projects such as the European XFEL expansion, and continued partnerships with institutions including the Max Planck Society, Fraunhofer Society, and international laboratories across Asia, North America, and Europe.

Category:Synchrotron light sources Category:Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin