2015 at the ESRF

In 2015 the ESRF inaugurated three new beamlines (ID01, ID31 and ID30B) and one ultra-high-tech crystal analyser laboratory.
ID30B is the latest of the new Macromolecular Crystallography beamlines to be inaugurated. It is an energy-tuneable beamline operated by the ESRF-EMBL Joint Structural Biology Group.
ID01 is a nanodiffraction beamline which produces extremely small beams (100 nm) for the study of nanostructures.ID31 is a high-energy beamline for buried interface structure and materials processing.

The ESRF officially launched the second phase of its extensive upgrade programme which includes the construction of a new storage ring with boosted performances: the ESRF- Extremely Brilliant Source  (ESRF-EBS) project.

Since its launch in 2013 in partnership with the French “Académie de Grenoble”, the education programme, Synchrotron@School, has welcomed 26 classes and 800 high-school students. In 2016 the programme will be reinforced with 30 classes, 5 of which are located outside France.

For the second year running, the ESRF and ILL organised a joint International Student Summer Programme for undergraduates from all over Europe. 15 students, originating from 9 different countries were offered four weeks of immersion into the world of X-ray and neutron science.

Beam stability at the ESRF is unequalled among synchrotrons the world over.
In September, 427.5 hours of beam were delivered without a failure, the equivalent of three weeks of uninterrupted beamtime. During operation, 224 beam position monitors analyse the position of the beam and a feedback system adjusts the trajectory. With an electron beam just the width of a human hair and covering a distance of 26 billion kilometres every day, this system is precise to less than 1 µm.

1135 proposals were received for the September applications session. This is the highest number ever received for the September deadline and the second highest ever, especially with two beamlines not yet in operation.

In the context of the 2015 UNESCO International Year of Light, nearly 100 scientists from across the world and government officials met to draft resolutions and a roadmap to initiate the process towards the construction of the first light source in Africa. For the AFLS organising committee, “the Grenoble resolutions will lay strong foundations for a future Light Source in Africa”.

As part of the Horizon 2020 programme, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has decided to support the project ESRF-EBS to the level of 65 million euros. The signing of this contract with the EIB is a mark of strong recognition for the ESRF and decisive support for the ESRF-EBS project.