The Siberian Circular Photon Source (SKIF) shared-use center in the Koltsovo science city near Novosibirsk is 99.7% complete. This was reported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education after the visit of the head of the department, Valery Falkov, to the facility. The giant 4th generation+ synchrotron is being built on a 30-hectare site.
Falkov emphasized that the commissioning of SKIF is important for both fundamental research in advanced fields of science and for solving applied problems of innovative and industrial enterprises. In total, by 2035, 30 experimental stations are planned to be created at the center for scientists from Russian scientific organizations and partner countries.
Equipment for the seven stations of the first stage has been fully manufactured. Two of them have been installed to date. The "Fast-Flowing Processes" station will allow studying the behavior of materials under powerful loads and at extremely high temperatures. The "High-Energy X-ray Diagnostics" station is designed for materials science, life sciences, archaeology, and paleontology. The equipment of both stations has already passed idle tests.
The creation of five more stations is nearing completion: "Microfocus," as well as "XAFS Spectroscopy and Magnetic Dichroism." The first experiments at SKIF will take place at the "Basic Methods of Synchrotron Diagnostics" station, which is focused on educational, research, and innovative activities for students.
Andrey Travnikov, Governor of the Novosibirsk Region, noted that the unique equipment was manufactured by Siberian scientists — specialists from the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, the Lavrentyev Institute of Hydrodynamics, the Design and Technology Institute of Scientific Instrumentation, and other major scientific centers. The Boreskov Institute of Catalysis coordinated the work. The quality of the developments meets the highest requirements.
The center's team is currently being formed. It consists of 300 people, most of whom are researchers and engineers. Among the employees are 45 Candidates of Sciences and 16 Doctors of Sciences.
