From the Workshop Chair
Yves Petroff, Director-General, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble


Yves Petroff
The Birgeneau report came as a shock to some people working in the field of VUV and soft x-ray synchotron radiation [1]. I personally believe that it will have a very positive influence.

Obviously, it is not completely fair to compare a synchrotron-radiation facility that has been running for two or three years with facilities in operation for more than 15 years. People have probably forgotten that the first years of the NSLS at Brookhaven were not very glorious. After that the NSLS became, and still is, one of the best facilities in the world. However, getting what we call politely in French un coup de pied au derrière is always positive because it forces you to react.

The performances achieved at the ALS (horizontal emittance x = 6 x 10-9 mrad, vertical emittance y = 6 x 10-11 mrad, and beam current 400 mA) show that this is the best VUV/soft x-ray machine in the world. How do we now ensure that it produces the best VUV/soft x-ray science in the world? I see answering this question as the purpose of the workshop whose proceedings are compiled in this report.

The different working groups of this workshop have discussed the areas where the ALS offers new scientific opportunities. It is now the role of the management to attract the right people to imple ment this exciting science.

Finally, I would like to raise one important point: the ALS is a national user facility. The users should be treated correctly and efforts should be made to address lodging, parking, and general "quality-of-life" concerns.

 

1. Report of the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee Panel on D.O.E. Synchrotron Radiation Sources and Science, Robert J. Birgeneau, Chair, November 1997.