July 22, 2014
On 22 July 2014 the opening ceremony of AREAL laser driven RF photogun linear accelerator was held at the CANDLE Synchrotron Research Institute. AREAL facility was built during 2011-2013 in close international cooperation with German accelerator center DESY and Swiss Paul Scherrer Institute. The International Technical Advisory Committee headed by Dr. Terence Garvey (PSI) was providing the expertal review of the new facility construction. Heads of state universities, directors of scientific research institutes, leading scientists, the ambassadors of foreign diplomatic missions in Armenia attended the AREAL opening.
AREAL- Advanced Research Electron Accelerator Laboratory – is a laser driven RF photogun linear accelerator for generation of few megaelectronvolts energy relativistic ultrashort electron beams with small tranverse phase space volume. The facility is aimed at the development of new accelerator technologies, new coherent radiation sources and advanced researches in the field of ultra-fast sciences. Being one of the most important destinations in the world leading accelerator laboratories, today those studies allow to deepen our understanding of the processes in nano-cosmos. AREAL project incorporates advanced technologies in the fields of laser physics, radio-frequency systems, ultra-vacuum technique, precise diagnostic systems, control and synchronization of different processes in subpicosecond scale.
The Chairman of the State Committee of Science Prof. Samvel Haroutunian and DESY official representative Dr. Winfried Decking opened the ceremony.
“I congratulate the CANDLE staff and the scientific community with the successful launch of the AREAL accelerator”, said Professor Haroutunian in his welcome speech. “It is a scientific and technological breakthrough not only for the CANDLE institute, but for the country as a whole. The AREAL successful implementation is a remarkable milestone towards the establishment of country advanced scientific infrastructure. It is very encouraging that the project is carried out in close cooperation with the accelerator centers of Germany and Switzerland, which in addition to expert support and training, made significant in-kind contribution of modern equipment. AREAL accelerator opens new opportunities for Armenian scientists to conduct frontier reaserch in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology and material science. I’m sure the new scientific achievements at AREAL will be visible in the nearest future”.
On behalf of the International Technical Advisory Committee Dr. Klaus Flottmann, the head of REGAE facility (DESY, Germany) presented the summary report and greetings: “On behalf of the international technical advisory Committee let me congratulate all of us on the successful launch of AREAL accelerator in Armenia. Committee members are very impressed by the level of work performed in such a short period of time. The team of Armenian scientists and engineers has designed and built a world-class accelerator. Although the facility is small, it produces precise electron beams that can support the frontier research in advanced fields of ultrafast sciences which can not be conducted in large high energy accelerators. Number of techniques like ultrafast electron diffraction, pump probe experiment, pulse radiolysis can be exploited at the new facility to advance the research in diversed fields of natural sciences creating the new opportunities for international cooperation. AREAL project has definitely changed the image of Armenia as a country able to design and construct state-of-the-art accelerator facility. The AREAL actually incorporates all the systems that contain any large accelerator. Therefore by successful launching of the AREAL facility, the CANDLE institute showed its capability for design, construction and operation of the large scale accelerator. It is our firm confidence that AREAL facility is a scientific value and its successful development will contribute to scientific and technological progress of your beautiful country. We wish the CANDLE team great success and new achievements”.
Dr. Winfried Decking (Germany) addressed on behalf of the German accelerator center DESY- “Cooperation of Armenian and German scientists in the field of accelerator physics has a long and glorious history. Armenian scientists have participated in the projects conducted at DESY for decades and have high credibility. And today, with the launch of the AREAL linac we witness the triumph of this cooperation already in Armenia. AREAL is a modern scientific installation of the world class level. We are encouraged by the results of our cooperation and look forward for the new opportunities offered by AREAL, especially in the field of new accelerator technologies. I want to emphasize that the successful implementation of AREAL offers an exceptional opportunity for Armenia to create a fourth- generation radiation source as the new accelerator enabling to produce ultrashort electron pulses is the key for creating future accelerator technologies. We congratulate the CANDLE team and Armenian scientific community with this new achievement and look forward for the future cooperation in the benefit of our countries”.
The AREAL first beam was obtained in 20 December, 2013. In May 2014 the new facility beam parameters measurements were completed and the results were presented at International Particle Accelerator Conference held in Dresden (Germany).