Synchrotron gets $15m for beamlines

The University of Melbourne, Monash University and the CSIRO have joined forces to provide AUD$15 million towards the initial beamlines planned for the Australian Synchrotron project, currently under construction at Monash University.

The contribution is the first toward the approximately $50 million required to build the beamlines. A report released at the same time -- The National Science Case for the Initial Suite of Beamlines -- has recommended that between nine and 13 beamlines be commissioned during the first few years of operation, with more to be added as necessary to a capacity of about 30.

"The overseas experience has shown beamline funding from sources outside Government, including universities and research institutions, is usually not forthcoming until the synchrotron building works are well under way," said Victorian innovation minister John Brumby in a statement.

He noted that discussions with other governments including the New Zealand government, as well as with other universities and research institutes were underway.

"This technology is so important to Australia's future as a knowledge nation strong in science and technology that over and above our commitment of the land on which the synchrotron is located and our internal investments in synchrotron science, we are now committing $5 million to the funding of the beamlines," said Monash's vice-chancellor, Prof Richard Larkins. "We consider it a great investment not only in synchrotron science, but the future of Monash."

Melbourne University vice chancellor Prof Alan Gilbert encouraged other academic institutions and research organisations, as well as industry, to join the beamlines consortium.

The National Science Case report, which was put together by the National Scientific Advisory Committee to the Australian Synchrotron, headed by Melbourne University's Prof Frank Larkins, includes contributions from more than 350 scientists with an interest in synchrotron research. It estimates that more than 1200 Australian researchers will use the initial set of beamlines.

The general purpose beamlines recommended for the initial suite include four for crystallography and diffraction including two suitable for protein crystallography, and four covering various spectroscopy wavelengths as well as an imaging beamline for medical use. Additional beamlines for vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy and for circular dichroism are also being considered for near term use. Two industrial beamlines for microdiffraction and for lithography are also in the plans -- but these are expected to be funded by industrial and commercial concerns.

The construction of the synchrotron buildings began late last year, and is expected to reach the lock-up stage at the end of this year, prior to the installation and commissioning of the instrument. The facility is likely to be operational in 2007.