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China is set to unveil its High-Energy Photon Source (HEPS) that will transform scientific research with high-energy X-rays. With an investment of $665 million, China will be positioned as a leader in fourth-generation synchrotron light sources.
Positioning China to the Top
China is on the brink of unveiling its groundbreaking High-Energy Photon Source (HEPS), a facility set to revolutionize scientific inquiry with its generation of high-energy X-rays.
Located in Huairou, near downtown Beijing, the circular HEPS complex is abuzz with activity as researchers meticulously fine-tune thousands of components.
With an investment of 4.8 billion yuan, HEPS represents a significant leap forward for Asia, positioning China among the world's leaders in fourth-generation synchrotron light sources.
The goal is to create a powerful light source capable of probing samples at the nanoscale and revealing their molecular and atomic structures with unprecedented precision in real-time.
Interesting Engineering reported that the installation of the vacuum chamber system, essential for maintaining the brightness and stability of the light, is set to be completed by the end of June.
This development represents another significant milestone in HEPS's progress towards advancing scientific research.
Revolutionizing Scientific Research with High-Energy X-Rays
HEPS is set to revolutionize scientific research with its high-energy X-rays, allowing for precise probing of samples at the nanoscale level.
This will offer a time resolution 10,000 times greater than third-generation facilities like the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, which has a 432-meter circumference and is currently China's most advanced synchrotron.
Ye Tao, a beamline scientist at the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, anticipates a significant improvement in measurement accuracy.
The new facility will achieve nanosecond-scale precision, surpassing the millisecond precision of current standards.
When HEPS opens in 2025, it will offer researchers access to 14 beamlines for various fields, including energy, condensed matter physics, materials innovation, and biomedicine.
There are plans to expand this capacity to up to 90 beamlines in the future. Ye Tao states HEPS will "impact every scientific field, except maths."
A key advancement HEPS made possible is the study of protein structures. Traditional synchrotrons require the purification of molecules and their transformation into crystal forms to visualize atomic structures.
However, HEPS's powerful hard X-rays will allow for the detailed analysis of even the smallest protein crystals. Additionally, experiments that used to take days can now be completed quickly at HEPS, significantly enhancing efficiency and productivity in scientific research.
A synchrotron light source is a sophisticated machine that produces electromagnetic radiation, which is widely used in scientific and technical applications.
This radiation is generated within a synchrotron, a particle accelerator where electrons travel in a circular path.
As these electrons speed up in the accelerator, they pass through magnets and special devices known as undulators or wigglers, which generate powerful magnetic fields.
These fields convert the energy of the accelerated electrons into light, such as X-rays. Synchrotron light sources use magnetic fields to guide electrons in a circular route, while electric fields accelerate them, creating the desired radiation.
