First day of Spring and also last day at ESRF for our diffractometer. It was taken apart for safe transport back to Huber Diffraktionstechnik GmbH, Germany. Will be back next year, bigger and shinier!

£7million funding from EPSRC to grant the UK National Research Facility at the ESRF.

Press releases:

https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/7_million_funding

https://news.liverpool.ac.uk/2019/02/25/7million-funding-to-grant-xmas-wish/

You can download it here

After around 30 years of service, our bending magnet BM28 was extracted on February 11^th before being taken apart for recycling. It will be replaced by a much smaller magnet (Short Bend) in June 2020.

BM28 from the machine side! In the old days, it was called D28. The x-rays used to travel down the tube on the left hand side.	The big blue thing is our long bending magnet

The ESRF EBS shutdown started on 10^th December 2018 and will last 20 months to dismantle the old ring, remount the new one and test it. The new BM28 magnet (the short bend) will be install in June 2020. The XMaS users should be able to use the beamline in the autumn.

In the meantime, see a panoramic view of the new control cabin: the offline x-ray source lab (blue door) and small windows looking inside the synchrotron x-ray experimental hutch to the right.

Calling all Year 12 Female Physics Students!

Please send us your entry for this year's competition. The deadline has now been extended to Friday 8th March. All information and an entry form can be found

here

This annual event held at the University of Warwick forms part of the outreach activities of XMaS. This year, it benefitted from a wider press coverage.

It featured in the Coventry Telegraph. Ally Caldecote, Monica Ciomaga Hatnean and Natacha Borrel also took part in the the Vic Minett show on BBC radio Coventry and Warwickshire to advertise the event on Tuesday 29th January.

Thank you for the winners of the 2017 and 2018 XMaS Scientist Experiences who looked after the XMaS stand on that busy evening!

The competition is now open!

The trip will take place 30th June-4th July 2019. Students will experience what life might be like as an international research scientist. They will visit the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and take part in the Synchrotron@School Programme.

For more information and to download an entry form, please click here.

Very active summer with the extension of the experimental hutch (EH1) and the construction of the new control cabin (June-July). From July, painting, installation of all the fluids, electrical and network cables, safety control system etc… Only a few more weeks to go!