Control Room

The average synchrotron user rarely considers the efforts required to deliver their beautiful stable x-ray beam - until it breaks. Yesterday evening we were able to witness first hand the birth of the synchrotron beam from behind the driver's seat in the main control room. Stephen (Milton) showed us the complex series of magnets and gizmos that take electrons from a cathode, like the one in a television, and accelerates them up to close to the speed of light.