By Kate Metropolis

Bob Hettel, Head of Accelerator Systems Department (SSRL’s) and Deputy Director of SPEAR3 project:

(Photo by Nicolle Rager)

"The project started off as a very modest upgrade to SPEAR2, based on an idea from Helmut Wiedemann and an initial low emittance lattice design created by one of his graduate students more than a decade ago. It was most gratifying to receive funding jointly from DOE and NIH, administered by the DOE. Thanks to a ground-breaking collaboration between those two agencies, we were able to build a much better machine.

"We are proud of a number of new technical developments that made the project more than just building another light source. These innovations were done largely in collaboration with other SLAC groups in areas including vacuum, magnets and supports, power supplies, rf, and instrumentation and controls and alignment.

"Two very challenging aspects of the project were one, SPEAR3 had to fit into the SPEAR2 footprint, which imposed many constraints in component and lattice design; and two, SPEAR3 had to be installed in a very short time frame (about seven months), a task that most outsiders (and some insiders) viewed with quite some skepticism.

"The rapid success of commissioning, where we were able to accumulate beam in a few days, is a real testimony to the whole SPEAR3 project staff and to the accelerator physics and engineering groups in collaboration with the ALS accelerator group. I think more has been learned about the SPEAR3 optics in the last couple of weeks than was learned in years of working on SPEAR2."

Richard M. Boyce, SPEAR3 Project Engineer for mechanical systems and manager of the eight-month long installation:

(Photo by Nicolle Rager)

"This has been a very, very enjoyable experience. The dedication of the SSRL and SLAC staff is extraordinary. I never hesitate to ask a question, because there are so many people around who can assist me. They are very knowledgeable, talented people. You just give them the authority and a little bit of direction, and they can do anything."

 

 

 

Tom Elioff, Project Director for SPEAR3 design and construction:

(Photo by Nicolle Rager)

"There were three main elements that made the project a success.

"First, SPEAR3 had a top-notch staff overall. We had the best group leaders for the various technical systems within the Laboratory from both SSRL and SLAC. On the SLAC side, the experience of the recent PEP-II project with some similar technical systems was extremely beneficial, while SSRL provided the knowledge and experience for design and the requirements for overall operational needs.

"Outside collaborations, especially the one with the Institute for High Energy Physics in Beijing (IHEP) where all the magnets were constructed, were outstanding.

"Second, the group leaders provided very good technical and schedule planning.

"Third, we were lucky to get our funding requirements on time and appreciate the support of both NIH and DOE (perhaps a first joint funding effort for such a project). There was a good and beneficial relationship with DOE throughout the project."

"SPEAR3 is the newest of the third-generation synchrotron radiation facilities. It’s remarkable that the same infrastructure that housed the first multi-GeV synchrotron ever used now houses one of the top rings in the world. Even more remarkable, electrons are already stored at SPEAR3 after a shutdown of less than nine months.

"What does SPEAR3 mean?

"For users, in all different fields, it means they can collect data about 50 times faster than before, or tackle projects about 50 times more difficult. If it takes you one week to collect data for an experiment, it may not be practical to do that experiment. But if you can get your data in just three hours, then that can change things.