Sincrotrone Trieste has announced a call for letters of intent to participate in developing and using a new fourth-generation light source, FERMI@Elettra, operating alongside the present ELETTRA source near Trieste. The FERMI@Elettra source will be added to the existing 2.0-2.4 GeV synchrotron and will be one of the first single-pass free-electron laser (FEL) facilities in the world.
FERMI@Elettra will operate in harmonic generation mode at wavelengths in the UV to soft X-ray range. It will initially have two FELs covering the wavelength ranges of 100-40 nm and 40-10 nm. The existing ELETTRA linac will be extended with a new 70 m long klystron gallery; a 65 m shielded undulator hall and a new experimental hall with eight beamlines will also be added. Support laboratories will be built at the end of the chain. The technical design study has been completed, the commissioning of the new booster is planned for summer 2007 and the two FELs are expected to be operational by the end of 2009.
ELETTRA, which is managed by the non-profit organization Sincrotrone Trieste, currently has more than 800 users a year; 86% are from European countries, working on research in physics, chemistry, earth science, material and life science. Proposals for FERMI@Elettra should be submitted before 30 April. Proponents selected by the international advisors will be involved in developing the scientific-exploitation programme (beam lines, end stations and Ramp;D projects), to be defined by the end of 2006.
