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Book tickets to the Australian Synchrotron Open Day!
The Australian Synchrotron open day will be held on the 14 October 2012. Entry to the Australian Synchrotron Open Day is free but bookings are essential.
In case you were wondering...
The Australian Synchrotron generates very bright and intense light that is used in a wide variety of scientific experiments. This light is generated using electricity. Radioactive material, such as cobalt, is not used to produce light in the facility. On Open Day, the synchrotron will not be generating light.
Self-Guided ToursSelf-Guided Tours | This tour allows you to visit the synchrotron at your own pace, guided by an information booklet. They are spaced at half-hour intervals from 10.00AM to 3.30PM. Upon entry you will receive a booklet that outlines your tour pathway. This tour will take you approximately an hour. Synchrotron scientists will be located throughout the facility, waiting to explain their work in simple terms and respond respond to your questions. The synchrotron building is about the size of the MCG and there is a fair amount of walking on flat concrete surfaces, so be sure to wear comfortable, fully-enclosed shoes. People with disabilities will have access to the mezzanine via a lift in Reception.
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Synchrotron Science for DummiesSynchrotron Science for Dummies | Synchrotron science can be daunting for even the most dedicated student or enthusiast of math, science or physics. This 15 minute overview makes this challenging subject understandable and accessible in a friendly and concise manner.
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Specialist Tours
Specialist tours give you a unique opportunity to look behind-the-scenes at the technical operations at the Australian Synchrotron. Specialist tours assume you have a level of knowledge about the subject area from either working or studying in these specific fields. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you only take part in specialist tours if you have a high level of understanding of theoretical and/or technical concepts in these, or similar, fields. Specialist tours are only available if you are 15 years old or older. Each tour will run for approximately one hour, and you can book onto as many tours as you like.
IM Beamline Satellite BuildingLed by: Chris Hall | The Imaging and Medical Beamline (IM) satellite building tour will allow visitors to see the synchrotron’s wide beam x-ray imaging facility. Two of the three parts of this beamline are inside the main building, but for reasons that will be revealed during the tour, the third part is built over 100 metres away from the synchrotron itself. The IM Satellite Building is connected to the synchrotron by a long tunnel, the start of which can be seen from inside the main building. IM, as its name suggests, is being developed to allow medical research using x-ray imaging on human volunteers. The tour will show you the entrance to the Satellite Building medical imaging suite, and the radiation enclosure at the other end of the tunnel that will eventually be used to take unique x-ray images inside the human body using our very special beams of radiation. This tour will take around 30 minutes.
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Personnel SafetyLed by: Bryce Karnaghan, Controls Specialist | Ensuring the safety of staff and users at the synchrotron is one of our most critical functions. This tour provides an insight into the systems and procedures required to achieve this. You will be given rare access to areas protected by the Personnel Safety System (PSS) including a behind-the-scenes look at the storage ring and components that power the machine such as power suppliers for the magnets and klystrons that produce the radio frequency for accelerating the electron beam. Your tour guide will discuss potential hazards of the Synchrotron and take you through the search-and-secure procedure used at the beamline hutches prior to allowing the light beam to enter an experimental enclosure. You will also be taken into our Control room where you will see how the access into and out of the machine is monitored.
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Accelerator Science | This tour will give visitors an overview of the various accelerator components and how the system generates a high energy electron beam. This is a rare opportunity to peek inside the bowels of the machine and hear about the extraordinary science and engineering behind the building and the operating of an electron accelerator.
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Computer Software and HardwareLed by: Nick Hobbs, Senior IT Officer | This tour will cover the use of Linux in real time processing, timing systems, offline software and hardware testing, the server room, and using high performance computing and image processing. It will also cover the control room and beam monitoring software and hardware. You will you will see the open source hardware and software systems, network infrastructure, the use of Grid technologies, virtual beamlines, robotics and some of the future technologies being implemented and invented for the synchrotron.
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Electrical Engineering | The specialist electrical tour will take visitors behind the scenes of the Australian Synchrotron. The tour includes a visit into the LV switch room, mechanical plant room and into the heart of the machine where the power supplies for the magnets are located.
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Mechanical EngineeringLed by: David Tokell, Head of Engineering | This tour will provide visitors with an overview of the mechanical engineering challenges that are involved in a synchrotron. The tour will start with a brief introduction to the Synchrotron and a visit to one of the beamlines to look at radiation shielding and the beamline mechanical engineering. You will then look at the cooling of the machine, before moving into the storage ring to view the vacuum systems and alignment mechanisms that are used on the accelerator itself.
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Kids Synchrotron Experiment SessionsKids Synchrotron Experiment SessionsLed by: Jonathan de Booy, Outreach Officer | Learn about the science of light and get involved in hands-on experiments. These sessions are suitable for children aged 8-12. Sessions are held in the Interactive Learning Centre in the National Centre for Synchrotron Science and run for approximately one hour. Note: there is limited space inside the laboratory and places are for children only. Parents should NOT book tickets for themselves and are encouraged to tour the facility while their children enjoy this enlightening educational experience. Jonathan is a qualified Physics teacher.
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