European Spallation Source
European Spallation Source (ESS) is the name of a materials research facility for scientific research using the neutron scattering technique. The facility will be built in Lund, Sweden starting in 2013. The facility is expected to open in 2019 and will be fully operational in 2025. At present 16 partner countries is represented in the ESS Steering Committee.
The laboratory is designed around a linear accelerator in which protons are accelerated and collide with a heavy metal target. By this process, intensive pulses of neutrons are emitted and led through beamlines to experimental stations, where research on materials is done as part of the scientific front line in energy, telecommunications, manufacturing, transportation, information technology, biotechnology, and health.
ESS will become 10 times more powerful than facilities in the US and Japan and it will provide the users with a 100 times better experience than present day neutron sources.
Since July 1, the staff and operations of ESS Scandinavia were transferred from Lund University to European Spallation Source ESS AB, a limited liability company set up to design, construct, own and operate the European Spallation Source in Lund. The company's headquarter is situated in central Lund, Sweden.[1]
Site selection
Originally, three possible ESS sites were under serious consideration: Bilbao (Spain), Debrecen (Hungary) and Lund (Sweden).
On May 28, 2009, 7 countries indicated support for placing ESS in Sweden. Furthermore, Switzerland and Italy indicated that they would support the site in majority.[2]
On June 6, 2009, Spain withdrew the Bilbao candidacy and signed a collaboration agreement with Sweden, supporting Lund as the main site, but with key component development work being performed in Bilbao. This effectively settled the location of the ESS; detailed economical negotiations between the participating countries are now taking place, making way for a formal decision in the short term.[3]
On December 18, 2009, Hungary also chose to tentatively support ESS in Lund, thus withdrawing the candidacy of Debrecen.[4][5]
ESS Scandinavia will be hosted jointly by Sweden and Denmark, with the source itself placed in Lund, Sweden and a data management facility in the Copenhagen area. Among special Danish competences is simulation of neutron scattering, since Risø DTU in Roskilde is the home of the McStas software collaboration, also comprising the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen and Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France.
Environmental impact
- Either a liquid lead–bismuth alloy, liquid mercury or solid tungsten will be used in quantities of around 20 tonnes for liquid targets.[6][7]
- Substances will be generated by the neutron beam that are radioactive and volatile.
- 40-50 MW of electrical power will be needed when the beam is in use.
- Radioactive and hazardous materials storage and transports will be required.
- ESS, E.on and Lunds Energi are collaborating in a project aiming to get the facility to be the world's first completely sustainable large-scale research centre.
See also
External links
- neutron-eu.net - ESS initiative site (no longer active)
- ess-neutrons.eu - EU FP7 Preparatory Phase Project
- essbilbao.com - ESS-Bilbao
- esshungary.eu - ESS-Hungary
- ess-scandinavia.eu - The official site of European Spallation Source ESS AB
- essworkshop.org - See how the design of instrumentation for a future ESS-Scandinavia is moving forward.
- ESS-Bilbao 2009 workshop
- EPAC08 Design - Baseline Design proposed by ESS BILBAO at EPAC08
- Risø DTU
- Niels Bohr Institute
- Institut Laue-Langevin
- McStas website
References
- ^ http://ess-scandinavia.eu/news/35-news/421-ess-in-a-new-costume
- ^ "Clear support for ESS in Sweden: A great step for European science" (Press release). May 29, 2009.
- ^ "Swedish-Spanish agreement on ESS in Lund the beginning of a new collaborative phase" (Press release). June 10, 2009.
- ^ ESS Debrecen press release
- ^ ESS Scandinavia press release
- ^ Moormann, Rainer (2009-03-28). "Safety aspects of high power targets for European spallation sources" (PDF). Forschungszentrum Juelich. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Moormann, Rainer (2009-03-28). "Safety and Licensing of the European Spallation Source (ESS)" (PDF). Forschungszentrum Juelich. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
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