The inauguration of the Siberian Ring Photon Source Shared Use Center (SKIF) has placed Russia in the forefront of studies in nuclear research. This mega-center is a complex of 34 buildings and structures covering a total area of 90,000 square meters and comprising seven research stations. It supports scientific research using synchrotron radiation beams. It is one of the largest research infrastructure projects in Russia.
A central role is played by a charged particle accelerator, similar in principle to colliders, though without particles being sent from opposite directions to crash into each other. The SKIF installation accelerates charged particles to speeds close to the speed of light along an annular trajectory, generating super-powerful synchrotron radiation.
“We see SKIF as a platform for meeting our strategic objectives. We are already drawing up a joint research program with the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Our focus will be to study the structure of melts and phase transitions, which are critically important for materials science,” said Alexei Ligachev, the CEO of Rosatom, which is the main driver behind the facility.
