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China to Build World's Brightest Light Source Facility

China to Build World's Brightest Light Source Facility
Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility © SINAP

China plans to build a next-generation synchrotron radiation facility in Beijing, according to a researcher from Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the country's top research institutes.

Dong Yuhui, the researcher, said that the project is expected to start construction in Nov next year and will be completed within six years. 

The total investment will reach 4.8 billion yuan ($698.4 million).

The facility, dubbed Beijing Light Source, will meet the national security demands and create aerospace materials among other products.

It will provide high-resolution method to know substantial structures better.

A file photo shows the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) project that was put into service on Jan 19, 2010. Image: China Daily
A file photo shows the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) project that was put into service on Jan 19, 2010. Image: China Daily

 

Beijing Light Source will be the so-called fourth generation light source, and its key performance indicators would be higher than the third-generation ones.

It will create the brightest X-rays in the worldwide, 70 times brighter than the US National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) and 10 times brighter than Sweden's MAX IV, the strongest of its kind in the world so far.

Bright X-rays could help measure the atomic structure of various substances, and the higher brightness will help people to see more details of substances, something akin to using flashlight to see things, Dong said.

MAX IV Laboratory in Sweden. Image: Designboom
MAX IV Laboratory in Sweden. Image: Designboom

 

Currently, China has the light sources from first generation to third generation, such as the first-generation facility BSRF in Beijing, the second-generation facility NHLS in Hefei, Anhui province, and the third-generation SSRF in Shanghai.

Around the world, there are more than 50 such facilities providing support in many research fields.

The light source plays an important role in the medical field, helping researchers know mechanisms of tumours and cerebrovascular diseases.


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Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
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