Offical starting shot for PETRA III (November 2009)

PETRA III Inauguration

Laser show for DESY´s new light source

The world’s most brilliant synchrotron radiation source was inaugurated.

In Hamburg, researchers from all over the world will be able to use a new research facility of superlatives: on the campus of DESY, a research centre of the Helmholtz Association, the world’s most brilliant and modern storage-ring-based synchrotron radiation source was inaugurated on Monday. With PETRA III, scientists expect to get fundamental new insights in the structure of matter. “This Hamburg-based facility offers unique perspectives,” said Federal Research Minister Annette Schavan at the inauguration. Acknowledging the achievements of the project team around DESY Photon Science Director Edgar Weckert, she said “PETRA III is now inaugurated after a refurbishment of barely two and a half years, within the projected cost and time schedule. This is exemplary. I look forward to the discoveries that will be made with the PETRA III X-ray light.”

PETRA III

From left to right: Jürgen Mlynek, President of the Helmholtz Association, Herlind Gundelach, Hamburg´s Science Senator, Annette Schavan, Federal Minister for Education an Research and DESY Director Helmut Dosch push the start button for PETRA III.

“With PETRA III at DESY, we inaugurate the world’s best synchrotron radiation source of its kind,” said Helmut Dosch, Chair of the DESY Board of Directors. “The hair-thin high-energy X-ray beams of PETRA III will give researchers from many disciplines the opportunity to obtain an accurate view of nano- and biomaterials, a vital prerequisite for tomorrow’s medications and high-performance materials.”

The modernisation of PETRA II and the construction of the new experimental hall for PETRA III were jointly funded by the German Government and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg with 233 million Euros, nearly 150 million of which coming from special funds. Following the rule for Helmholtz Association facilities, Hamburg has contributed 10 percent and the Federal Government 90 percent of the total. Within the framework of collective research, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research provided an additional 12.2 million Euros for experiments in the current funding period, which give scientists from German universities the opportunity to optimally exploit PETRA III for their research projects.

(From DESY Press release 16 Nov. 2009)