CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland

1. CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) is a multi-disciplinary research centre for natural sciences and technology. Research topics include solid state physics and material sciences, particle physics, life sciences, energy and environment. PSI employs 1300 members of staff, making it the largest national research institution. This poster presents PSI’s accelerator-based facilities. The research facilities Swiss Light Source SLS Swiss Spallation Neutron Source SINQ Swiss Muon Source SµS are available to extern users and allow world class research in material science and biology. In the medical facility Proton Therapy PROSCAN tumor patients are treated. Swiss Light Source SLS Electrons circulating in a 288m long storage ring emit high brilliance, polarized light from IR to X-ray into the beamlines. e-beam: I = 400mA, E = 2.4GeV, hor. emittance = 5nmrad. 17 user beamlines employ different light spectroscopic tech-niques for material science, protein crystallography (see right figure), surface & interface spectroscopy and tomography. 2009: V. Ramakrishnan obtains the Nobel Price for his investigation of ribosomes at the SLS. 3-dimensional structure of the RNA-protein U1 snRNP SINQ and SmS are fed with a 2.2mA primary beam of 590MeV-protons, making the proton beam power a world record 1.3MW. The neutron & muon yields in SINQ and SmS are correspondingly high. Swiss Spallation Neutron Source Neutrons are produced by bombarding a lead target with 590MeV-protons. 2 experimental techniquesfor material probing: scattering & radiography. Proton Therapy PROSCAN Irradiation oftumorswith a 250MeV proton beam fromthe super-conductingcyclotron COMET. In thegantries, deep-seatedtumorsaredestroyedbyscanning a pencil beam ( = 7mm) over a 3-dimensional gridcoveringthetumor, whileoptimallyavoidinghealthytissue. Swiss Muon Source SmS Up to 5108 µ+/s and 1108 µ–/s are produced by bombarding two carbon targets with 590MeV-protons. The muons are incorporated into the sample, allowing to measure it’s internal magnetic field. Nd3Pd20Ge6: the n-scattering diagram of the sample (top) allows to reconstruct its crystal structure (bottom). n-radiography of a Tibetan Buddha statue (15th century). In it’s interior, a wood shaft and dried flowers are revealed. Spot-scanning of a braintumor Peter Hottinger & Herbert Müller – 2010 CERN Accelerator School – September 19 to 30, 2010 – Varna, Bulgaria