Beamlines and facilities

Beamlines

Find a beamline Groups or a Beamline (including a list of all beamlines with technical specificities of each beamline)

Check the beamlines status.

The public beamlines in operation at ESRF provide some 500 shifts of beam time each year for user experiments, after deducting machine-dedicated runs and maintenance days.  In addition, several externally funded, Collaborating Research Group (CRG) beamlines, make available 1/3 of their beam time to ESRF users.  During the year, two long shut-downs are scheduled: 4 weeks in winter and 3 weeks in summer. Beamlines at ESRF operate 24 hours a day in three shifts, each of 8 hours.

Selection of the beamlines for a proposal

ESRF beamlines are designed for research in areas as diverse as engineering, physics, chemistry, crystallography, earth science, biology and medicine, surface and materials science, and are characterized by specific techniques of investigation.

It is the beamline(s) requested by the main proposer, in the application for beamtime, which determine(s) the Committee(s) which will review the proposal.

In the electronic application form, the main proposer may select:
 

• in the case where only one beamline is required :
  • the principal beamline (P1) required and up to two alternative beamlines (A1, A1') : this corresponds to a request for P1 or A1 or A1'.

• in the case where more than one beamline is required :
  • two principal beamlines (P1, P2). If appropriate, possible alternative beamlines for each principal beamline may be selected (as above) : this corresponds to a request for P1 and P2.
  • the proposer must give number of shifts requested on each principal beamline

Important

In order to request the appropriate beamline(s) for your research, and therefore to have your proposal assessed by the appropriate review committee, you are kindly requested:

• to consult the information web page on the beamlines,
• to consult the appropriate guidelines for complementary information on the selection of the beamlines
• to contact the beamline responsible if you need more information
• to MAKE SURE, before the validation of your proposal, that the status ("principal" or "alternative") of the selected beamline(s) corresponds exactly to what you need.

Facilities

• Support and Infrastructure specialized support to users and development of new techniques in the areas of chemistry and micromanipulation, sample environments, and surface science
   
• list of support laboratories available to the users