December 23, 2013
On December 20, 2013 at 5:36 pm, all diagnostic monitors in the control room of the AREAL linear accelerator registered first generation and acceleration of the electron beam. The team of scientists and engineers of the CANDLE Synchrotron Research Institute were eagerly waiting for this day. Successful testing and commissioning of all major accelerator systems preceded this event. The Advanced Research Electron Accelerator Laboratory (AREAL) is a linear accelerator with laser driven radio-frequency electron gun that allows obtaining low emittance ultra-short electron beams for research on advanced accelerator technologies, coherent radiation sources and dynamics of ultra fast processes.
“I congratulate the staff of the Institute and the scientific community with the successful launch of the AREAL accelerator,” greeted the chairman of the State Committee of Science RA Professor Samvel Haroutiunyan. “It is a scientific and technological breakthrough not only for the CANDLE institute, but for the country, too. AREAL opens up new horizons for contemporary research on accelerator technologies and their applications in science and engineering. This is a machine that looks into the future, since studies of ultra fast processes largely determine progress in nanoworld understanding in nearby decades. It is very encouraging that the project is carried out in close cooperation with the accelerator centers of Switzerland and Germany, which in addition to the expert support and training made a significant contribution in the form of donation of modern equipment,” concluded Prof. Samvel Haroutiunyan.
“This is an important achievement of scientists and engineers who work over the AREAL project,” said the director of the CANDLE Institute Prof. Vasili Tsakanov. “With the launch of the AREAL, the Institute made a solid step forward in the advanced accelerator technology. In addition, a strong team of young scientists and engineers capable to design, construct and operate the modern particle accelerator is formed. Special thanks to our colleagues from DESY (Germany) and Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland) for their support and cooperation. And of course, the project would not be possible without the support of the State Committee of Science of Armenia,” added the Director of the Institute.
“After the launch of the accelerator and the first beam registration a series of precise experimental measurements of beam parameters under different operating conditions are planned,” said the AREAL project leader Dr. Bagrat Grigoryan. “In the middle of January the accelerator will be shut down for final improvements and adjustment of various sub-systems based on the measurements performed. It is important to note that the future of the AREAL accelerator is a continuous process of improving the beam parameters to maintain the relevance of research to the modern trends,” assured Dr. Bagrat Grigoryan.