Thought Leadership

DESY - opening new windows onto the universe

Unlocking the mysteries of the universe is all in a day’s work for scientists at Deutsches Elektronen- (DESY) in . Using the centre’s powerful particle accelerators, they are able to probe into the secrets of exploding stars, black holes, the big bang and more. DESY’s accelerators are also sources of intense electromagnetic radiation, which are used to perform pioneering investigations in the fields of physics, , geology, biology and medicine. We caught up with Professor Dr. Helmut Dosch, DESY’s Chairman of the Board, to find out what makes DESY the world’s leading centre for X-ray experiments.

orget looking for a needle in a up tiny, electrically charged particles nearly haystack, scientists at Deutsches to the speed of light – that is, to almost Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) 300 000 kilometres per second. A broad are looking for the tiniest building range of scientific disciplines benefit from blocks of matter in the world. these fast particles. Particle physicists Based in Germany, DESY is an internationally bring them together in head-on collisions Fleading accelerator centre, which houses to investigate the tiniest building blocks of the world’s most intense X-ray source and matter. Chemists, materials scientists and particle accelerators that have achieved biologists use accelerators to generate the record speeds. These facilities enable the brightest X-ray radiation in the world in order exploration of the microcosm, in all its infinite to examine diverse materials ranging from variety. Scientists can look at everything aircraft turbines to microchip semiconductors from the interactions of miniscule elementary and proteins that are essential to life. Medical particles and the behaviour of new types of researchers use accelerators for cancer nanomaterials, to biomolecular processes therapy, as the high-energy particle beams that are essential to life. can be targeted to destroy tumours.

Solid-state physicist Professor Dr. Helmut Can you tell me more about DESY’s Dosch is DESY’s Chairman of the Board. He background and what the aims of the centre met up with Research Features to discuss are? some of the fascinating research that takes DESY was founded in 1959 as a new lab place at DESY and to outline some exciting in the north of Germany to operate a future developments. called an synchrotron. The great scientific success, Firstly, can you explain what a particle the professional operation and subsequent accelerator does? international recognition of this facility led to Particle accelerators are among the most a rather dynamic development becoming a important tools for research. They speed leading centre for accelerator research and

DESY has always been a driver of new frontiers in science and technology

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Can you tell us more about DESY’s connection with the (LHC) in Geneva? After the shutdown of HERA in 2007, DESY very quickly developed a new enhanced cooperation with CERN. Today, most of the DESY activities in are focused on the LHC, and DESY is the national hub for the German LHC community. Currently, DESY is building up a detector assembly facility which will be used by all German universities for the construction of essential parts for the next generation of particle detectors at the LHC. At annual DESY-CERN board meetings, DESY synchronizes its particle physics priorities with the CERN directorate. There are also strong personal ties that connect DESY and CERN. For example, both the former Director General of CERN, Rolf Heuer, and the current Director for Research and Computing, Eckhart Elsen, spent a long time at DESY before their appointments at Particle accelerators at DESY (LINAC II, PIA and DESY II are preaccelerators for the operation of the storage ring PETRA III), together with the two free-electron lasers FLASH and the European XFEL CERN.

LEFT: The FLASH accelerator tunnel Can you tell us about some of the exciting research projects currently taking place at Can you explain what science is? Their penetrating power allows access to the DESY? How did it become one of the main focuses intrinsic time scale of the nanoworld, i.e. to With pleasure, but this can only be a very of activity at DESY? the time scale of electronic and molecular personal selection and a snapshot of the development (R&D) and particle physics. The DESY’s mission encompasses top level user the observation of B meson mixing; Photon science refers to all research motions. This enables researchers for the many scientific breakthroughs coming particle physics legacy of DESY is intimately operation of its X-ray facilities and research in precise measurements of the structure disciplines which exploit the high brilliance very first time to observe in real time how out of the DESY labs and collaborations. I linked to the development of the storage photon science, nano-bio sciences, particle/ of the ; the discovery of the X-ray X-ray radiation from electron accelerators. chemical bonds form and break, the holy will highlight a few that show the breadth rings (circular particle accelerators), DORIS, astrophysics and accelerators R&D. We are magnetic dichroism and of the synchrotron These “supermicroscopes” reveal the atomic grail in chemistry, catalysis and materials of science at DESY. Let’s start with PETRA and HERA. creating the knowledge base that is needed Moessbauer scattering. In collaboration details and the behaviour of . The European XFEL, and other astrophysics. Various kinds of particles from in order to solve the huge and urgent with the , ground- and biomolecules – and form the basis for similar facilities worldwide, will transform the the cosmos constantly reach the – By the 1960s, the lab had pioneered the use challenges that society, science and the breaking work has been done to decipher developing new technologies. way we design new materials and drugs. particles that can provide insights into the of for the examination economy are facing. The research facilities the structure of ribosomes, the “protein happenings in the depths of the universe. of matter, materials and biological systems. we develop and operate for this purpose are factories” of living cells. For this, Ada Examples of photon science include: DESY is the brain behind the European The DESY researchers in use two This quickly grew to a second branch of the open to scientists from all over the world. Yonath, who conducted her research at protein crystallography, X-ray tomography XFEL. DESY devised the idea, the concept of these cosmic messengers, neutrinos and lab: science with synchrotron radiation, plus DESY between 1984 and 2002, received of materials and angular resolved and technical design and developed gamma rays, to uncover the secrets of stellar X-ray lasers. This is today the main focus DESY is member of the the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009. DESY photoelectron spectroscopy of functional the accelerator technology, based on explosions, cosmic particle accelerators like of DESY, which is now the site of the high of German Research Centres. has also been driving cutting edge science materials. superconducting niobium. DESY is the surroundings of black holes, or of dark brilliance storage ring PETRA III, the world´s with free-electron lasers (FELs). Between responsible for the heart of the XFEL, the matter. first free-electron laser FLASH, and the How big an influence has DESY had on 2000 and today, Henry Chapman at DESY DESY pioneered this field in the 1960s, in 2km superconducting linear accelerator European X-ray laser XFEL. scientific research since it was established in pioneered serial femtocrystallography, parallel to its particle physics program. With which brings up to the energy of As part of their studies, the researchers 1959? What achievements really stand out which is widely considered to be the next the shut-down of DESY’s last particle collider 17.5 GeV. are involved in a collaborative project With the reunification of Germany in 1990, for you? quantum leap in structural biology. HERA, in 2007, and the parallel launch of the called IceCube, which operates a huge DESY once more expanded its size and its DESY has always been a driver of new construction of the European XFEL, photon During the last few years, DESY has been neutrino observatory below the surface research portfolio. A new site was created frontiers in science and technology. DESY has had a seminal influence on science became the main activity at DESY. building up interdisciplinary research labs on of the Antarctic ice cap at the South Pole. at Zeuthen, near , in 1992, to explore Among the many scientific achievements the development of theory and of novel campus, such as the Center for Free Electron Neutrinos hold the key to some of the , and which is today on are the discovery of the , the “glue accelerator concepts. In 1987, Evgeny The European X-ray free electron laser Laser Science (CFEL) and the Centre for most fundamental questions in physics, the verge of becoming an international centre particle” that holds the together and Saldin laid down the theoretical basis for (XFEL) is due to open at DESY later this Structural System Biology (CSSB), which will but they are notoriously difficult to study. in the field. without which there would be no atoms; free electron X-ray lasers. These devices year. Can you describe what it does and exploit the unique opportunities presented However, their activities are easier to detect can not only record the forms of atoms what its value will be to researchers? What by the European XFEL. In the next few years, in deep ice. IceCube was built to search for and molecules, but their functions too. At is the significance for DESY of having this we will witness many disruptive scientific high energy neutrinos created in the most In the next few years, we will witness DESY, this revolutionary theoretical idea was new research facility based on site? achievements in all areas of science. Clearly, extreme cosmic environments, a search first converted into X-ray laser facilities by The European XFEL is the most powerful the international reputation of DESY as a that is driven by the wish to understand many disruptive scientific achievements developing superconducting accelerators X-ray source in the world. Its X-rays are used world-leading accelerator and photon science the origin and nature of cosmic rays. The which are today the heart of FLASH and the to study the nano world, as they are able to lab will further be boosted by the success of IceCube observatory has already detected in all areas of science European XFEL. show much finer details than visible light. the European XFEL. the highest energy neutrinos ever recorded.

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Preparation of an experiment at the measuring station P06. The beamline P06 at the brillant X-ray Solid-state physicist source PETRA III provides advanced visualisation Professor Dr Helmut with micro/nanoscopic spatial resolution using different X-ray techniques Dosch is DESY’s Chairman of the Board

How do you see research at DESY changing over the next ten years? I see several developments in the next years: 1. DESY will upgrade PETRA III into an ultimate storage ring providing coherent X-rays at 0.1 nm wavelength (“PETRA IV project”). This facility will allow novel X-ray imaging possibilities of all materials’ properties, with the highest resolution, which will have a huge impact on the design of advanced materials.

2. DESY´s national and international role in astroparticle physics will strongly increase with the advent of the Cherenkov Telescope The European XFEL and other similar facilities Array. DESY will host the CTA International Science and Data Management Center at its worldwide will transform the way we design site in Zeuthen. new materials and drugs 3. The DESY site in is on its way to becoming an International Science Park, Now shift your focus from the South The discovery allows better understanding ESP systems. They are also found in mobile conditions of high pressures, temperatures, observations made with the CTA observatory with new physics, chemistry and biology Pole to sub-Saharan Africa, where more of metrology (measurement science) at low phones, they read data from hard drives or electromagnetic fields. The insights will unveil fascinating new phenomena labs of the to be than 60 million people are threatened by temperatures. and contribute to our safety by detecting gleaned from these experiments will help and revolutionise our understanding of built on campus. This will further boost the the sleeping sickness parasite, which is microscopic cracks in metal components. improve models of planetary birth, among fundamental physical processes at the interdisciplinary use of DESY’s facilities and transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly. Using Last summer, we were given a glimpse of the This variety of applications requires a very other things, and will also provide a basis for smallest and largest scales in our Universe. attract more young scientists. serial femtocrystallography, a technique I future, with the first electron beam produced individual tailoring of these sensors for their innovations in materials research and fusion mentioned earlier, DESY scientists and their by an innovative accelerator project. This respective functionality, a tuning that is technologies. International collaboration is a key element 4. DESY will become more visibly engaged in collaborators exposed a possible Achilles' was a collaborative venture, conducted by extremely limited in conventional production in DESY’s success. What does DESY do to the innovation chain and engage in strategic heel of this parasite. Their sophisticated DESY and the University of Hamburg. The methods. DESY scientists have now Researchers plan to use the ‘’pump and foster collaboration? cooperation with industry. analysis of data taken in experiments with technology used in the experiment, plasma- discovered a method that allows a plethora probe’’ technique, where a dynamic process As you correctly say, international a free-electron laser revealed the blueprint wakefield acceleration, will hopefully one of new sensor properties to be achieved in a – for example, a chemical reaction – is collaboration has always been and will in 5. DESY accelerator research will develop for a molecular plug that can selectively day give rise to particle accelerators that are straightforward fashion. Instead of adjusting started with one laser pulse and analysed future remain a key for DESY’s success. All a strong focus in block a vital enzyme of the parasite, thereby much smaller and more powerful than the the application to fit the available sensors, with another laser pulse after a well-defined DESY projects are so demanding that they technologies, with the aim to prepare a rendering it inactive. ones we operate today. That is why a lot of the new technology means that one can delay. Repeating the experiment with slowly require the collaboration of the best. In conceptual design report for a new facility effort and resources are devoted to this field customize the sensor to fit the intended increasing delay times provides a series turn, DESY has always been striving to be a fuelled by a plasma accelerator. Another recent experiment at DESY’s X-ray of research. The electrons in this first test application. of snapshots that can be arranged like a meeting and networking place for scientists source PETRA III revealed, with atomic run were accelerated to energies of around "molecular movie" flip-book of the reaction from all over the world. resolution, the structure of a key enzyme of 400 MeV, using a plasma cell of just a few What are the key research focuses for the or process under investigation. the Zika virus. This enzyme is essentially the millimetres in lengths. This corresponds organisation over the next two years? This implies an open mind and a culture of engine that enables the virus to replicate. If very nearly to the energy that is achieved by We will be working on the technical design At the same time, there will be strong efforts diversity, as well as professional structures Contact this enzyme could now be targeted with the DESY’s linear pre-accelerator LINAC II – in 70 reports for upgrades of PETRA III and for the to push the limits of accelerator technologies for hosting scientists from abroad. These Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY right drug, thus inhibiting the replication, the metres! free-electron laser FLASH, to ensure DESY’s and establish a distributed test facility for include an international office, a dual career Ein Forschungszentrum der Helmholtz- infection could be stopped. leading position in photon science in the laser-plasma acceleration. This technique centre, English as lingua franca, language and Gemeinschaft Finally, I would like to mention a more future. could revolutionise not only the fields of intercultural training courses, plus many other Notkestr. 85 A more fundamental result was obtained applied research project that has already photon science and particle physics, but also services. DESY´s research infrastructures D-22607 Hamburg at DESY’s free-electron laser FLASH. Here, sparked interest in the industry. It is about The start of the user operation of the open the route towards innovative medical play a central role, with robust funding scientists found evidence of long elusive a new deposition method for custom-made European XFEL this summer is eagerly applications. which attracts young scientists and leaders E: desyinfo@.de helium molecules consisting of three atoms magnetoresistive sensors, which will probably anticipated and we are looking forward to in the field to Hamburg. DESY is a coveted W: www.desy.de (He3), whose existence was predicted revolutionise the range of applications for the first experiments there, for instance those Last but not least, the Cherenkov Telescope partner for international cooperation. Its 40 years ago by the Russian theoretical magnetic sensors. These tiny, highly sensitive at the Helmholtz International Beamline Array (CTA) will be launched - the world’s many strategic partnership agreements with physicist Vitaly Efimov. This high-precision and efficient components are everywhere (HIB). HIB is a new kind of experimentation largest gamma-ray observatory and one of leading research institutions across the world measurement of extremely weakly bound in our daily lives. In cars, they measure the station, based at the XFEL, which will be the cornerstones of astrophysics - at DESY support long-term international cooperation states illustrates the potential of FLASH. speed of rotation of the wheels for ABS and used to conduct experiments under extreme in Zeuthen. Our researchers expect that projects.

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