The ALBA synchrotron
- Name: The ALBA synchrotron
- Location: Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona)
- Run by: Consortium responsible for constructing, equipping and operating the synchrotron light laboratory (CELLS).
ALBA is the name of this light generator, which acts like a gigantic microscope revealing the secrets of atoms and particles. The synchrotron works like a kind of cannon that fires electrons, emitting an initial burst that gathers speed through a linear accelerator before it is transferred to a circular accelerator where the electrons attain high energy levels. These highly charged electrons are restricted to a huge ring, circulating in a vacuum through a magnetic field for several hours and producing x-ray radiation. This radiation is used for investigations in a diversity of fields: biology, chemistry, natural geography, the environment, industry, material engineering and science, medicine and theoretical physics.
Although there are more than 10 synchrotron light generators in existence in Europe, only three or four are third generation and no other is located south of the Paris-Trieste line, except for the European generator in Grenoble. The ALBA synchrotron is run by the Cells consortium and jointly financed by the Generalitat and the Spanish State.
Consortium responsible for constructing, equipping and operating the synchrotron light laboratory (CELLS)