Germany’s DESY laboratory in Hamburg and SLAC in Stanford, US, have formally agreed to pool resources for the development and promotion of X-ray free-electron lasers. At a ceremony at the Department of Energy in Washington, DC on 1 November 2002, the directors of the two laboratories signed a memorandum of understanding describing the exchange of personnel, equipment, research results and data, as well as know-how. The aim is to accelerate and contribute to the scientific programmes of SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) project and DESY’s TESLA X-Ray Free-Electron Laser (TESLA-XFEL), which, according to current planning, will start operation in 2008 and 2011 respectively. The first step will be the sharing of results from small pilot facilities already under construction in Stanford and Hamburg.
Commenting on the agreement, SLAC director Jonathan Dorfan said: “International collaboration is the most efficient, responsible and cost-effective way of building world-class science facilities. There is already dynamic collaboration between SLAC, DESY and the KEK laboratory in Japan on research and development for a future high-energy physics linear collider. Today’s agreement establishes stronger bonds between international centres of excellence.”
Albrecht Wagner, chairman of the DESY board of directors, said he is “delighted by this collaboration. Both projects will be enriched and accelerated by the first-class personnel and accumulated expertise at both laboratories.”
