Light Source 2 under way

Light Source 2 under way
Construction jobs now; scientific discoveries to follow
By: Kyle Reitan

First appeared in the Village Beacon Record

A $912 million facility containing the National Synchrotron Light Source II began construction after a groundbreaking ceremony Monday at Brookhaven National Laboratory. A few hundred distinguished guests, including BNL employees, scientists, and elected representatives gathered under a tent at the site off William Floyd Parkway in Upton.The high-tech facility, to be built by Torcon Inc., is expected to be fully functional in 2015.

The NSLS-II will be the world's brightest synchrotron light source and "will allow both Brookhaven researchers and our visiting scientists to build the structured properties of materials and biological systems with unprecedented resolutions," said BNL Director Samuel Aronson.

The NSLS-II "will lead to extraordinary discoveries," said Ron Townsend, Battelle's executive vice president of global laboratory operations. He expects that the machine will be utilized to further investigate Alzheimer's disease, for example.

Steve Dierker, associate lab director for light sources, said, "The research programs of NSLS-II will touch almost every area of science and technology that is critical to our economic and energy security as well as to enhancing our quality of life." Aronson, Dierker and other speakers during the event are expecting advances in energy, environmental science, medicine "and many other fields," Aronson noted. To put the NSLS-II in perspective, it will be 10,000 times brighter than the current NSLS source at the lab. "I am so proud that this machine will be here," said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

The advanced technologies of NSLS-II will provide sophisticated, innovative tools for research and discovery using safe and clean energy. The original NSLS, for the last 25 years, according to Aronson, "has proven a tremendous resource for researchers in the state and the region." He said there are over 2,000 users of the light source today, one third are from New York State, "so this is a great resource for the local scientific community."

Two years from now, according to Dierker, accelerator components will be added to the NSLS-II, and a year after beam lines will be placed. Dierker emphasized that the innovative light source will be housed in "a building with ultra high stability and advanced instrumentation," which would enhance the research potential.

"There is so much to do here," Schumer said. "Science is the cutting edge of our lives," The new light source is expected to not only be the home of advanced scientific research but also many jobs on Long Island, according to comments from Congressman Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). "Right now it's about putting people to work," Bishop said. "This is what Long Island needs; this is what our nation needs."

Melissa Winslow, an intern in the Environmental Sciences division at BNL, said, "I'm excited to see the groundbreaking." Winslow, and colleagues Vicky Giese of California University and Glen Bornhoft are hoping for careers at BNL. "I just can't wait to see it up and how much energy it makes," Bornhoft said.Gillibrand felt strongly about renewable energy resources. "As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I am working to ensure that we'll allocate the proper resources to advance green education." Gillibrand added, "We need to make sure that the next generation have the opportunity in these energy growth areas so that we can be at the forefront of these green energy jobs, health care, and technology revolution." Dennis Carlson, light source user machine shop manager, who has worked in the light source for the past 20 years, said, "It's been a great facility and I think light source II will even be better. It's certainly a big boost for the economy."Immediately following the ceremony, guests were invited to watch "Time and Space for Celebration," a world premiere of interpretive dance by members of the Center for Dance, Movement and Somatic Learning at Stony Brook University.