European Spallation Source
Encyclopedia
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 17 partner countries are represented in the ESS Steering Committee.
The laboratory is designed around a linear accelerator in which proton
s are accelerated and collide with a heavy metal target. By this process, intensive pulses of neutron
s are emitted and led through beamline
s 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.
Since July 1, 2010, 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 headquarters are situated in central Lund, Sweden.
(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.
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.
On December 18, 2009, Hungary also chose to tentatively support ESS in Lund, thus withdrawing the candidacy of Debrecen.
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
.
Materials science
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...
facility for scientific research using the neutron scattering
Neutron scattering
Neutron scattering,the scattering of free neutrons by matter,is a physical processand an experimental technique using this processfor the investigation of materials.Neutron scattering as a physical process is of primordial importance...
technique. The facility will be built in Lund
Lund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
starting in 2013. The facility is expected to open in 2019 and will be fully operational in 2025. At present 17 partner countries are represented in the ESS Steering Committee.
The laboratory is designed around a linear accelerator in which proton
Proton
The proton is a subatomic particle with the symbol or and a positive electric charge of 1 elementary charge. One or more protons are present in the nucleus of each atom, along with neutrons. The number of protons in each atom is its atomic number....
s are accelerated and collide with a heavy metal target. By this process, intensive pulses of neutron
Neutron
The neutron is a subatomic hadron particle which has the symbol or , no net electric charge and a mass slightly larger than that of a proton. With the exception of hydrogen, nuclei of atoms consist of protons and neutrons, which are therefore collectively referred to as nucleons. The number of...
s are emitted and led through beamline
Beamline
In particle physics, a beamline is the line in a linear accelerator along which a beam of particles travels. It may also refer to the line of travel within a bending section such as a storage ring or cyclotron, or an external beam extracted from a cyclic accelerator.In materials science, physics,...
s 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.
Since July 1, 2010, the staff and operations of ESS Scandinavia were transferred from Lund University
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
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 headquarters are situated in central Lund, Sweden.
Site selection
Originally, three possible ESS sites were under serious consideration: BilbaoBilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
(Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
) and Lund (Sweden).
On May 28, 2009, 7 countries indicated support for placing ESS in Sweden. Furthermore, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
indicated that they would support the site in majority.
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.
On December 18, 2009, Hungary also chose to tentatively support ESS in Lund, thus withdrawing the candidacy of Debrecen.
ESS Scandinavia will be hosted jointly by Sweden and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, with the source itself placed in Lund, Sweden and a data management facility in the Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
area. Among special Danish competences is simulation of neutron scattering, since Risø DTU
Risø DTU National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy
Risø DTU National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy is a scientific research organization north of Roskilde, Denmark. From 1 January 2008 it was made an institute under Technical University of Denmark...
in Roskilde
Roskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
is the home of the McStas
McStas
McStas is an Open Source software simulator for neutron scattering experiments. The software consists of a compiler that translates instrument and component definitions to C code....
software collaboration, also comprising the Niels Bohr Institute
Niels Bohr Institute
The Niels Bohr Institute is a research institute of the University of Copenhagen. The research of the institute spans astronomy, geophysics, nanotechnology, particle physics, quantum mechanics and biophysics....
in Copenhagen and Institut Laue-Langevin
Institut Laue-Langevin
The Institut Laue–Langevin, or ILL, is an internationally-financed scientific facility, situated in Grenoble, France. It is one of the world centres for research using neutrons...
in Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Environmental impact
- Either a liquid lead–bismuth alloyLead-bismuth eutecticLead-Bismuth Eutectic or LBE is a eutectic alloy of lead and bismuth used as a coolant in some nuclear reactors, and is a proposed coolant for the lead-cooled fast reactor, part of the Generation IV reactor initiative....
, liquid mercuryMercury (element)Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
or solid tungstenTungstenTungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
will be used in quantities of around 20 tonnes for liquid targets. - 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.
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