The operation of the Siberian Ring Photon Source (SKIF) and 20 experimental stations of the PIK reactor will be presented in 2026, according to the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute."
This year, at the end of the year, we are commissioning the PIK reactor, <…> 20 experimental stations. <…> In the same year, we are commissioning SKIF. Tentatively in August-September, the president will hold a council where all this will be announced and SKIF will be "sanctified". <…> These will be two unique installations, we will demonstrate them in 2026.
SKIF is being built near Novosibirsk. It is the first in Russia and the most powerful fourth-generation synchrotron radiation source in the world. The launch was postponed from 2024 to the end of 2025. In mid-November, the complex's readiness exceeded 95%, and in late January, the Chairman of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Valentin Parmon, reported that the synchrotron was expected to be launched by mid-summer.
A synchrotron radiation source is a super-powerful X-ray microscope the size of a ring tunnel. In it, particles are accelerated to almost the speed of light and create radiation that allows studying the structure of substances down to atoms. The main difference of the fourth generation is the record brightness and clarity of the beam, which makes it possible to see even fast chemical processes in real time.
The PIK reactor in Gatchina (Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute) is designed for studying neutrons, neutron radiation, researching the microworld, and other fundamental and applied areas. An international center for synchrotron, neutron, and laser research has been created on its base.