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As a result, the electrons could be accelerated for the first time to
one gigaelectronvolt, the design energy planned for FLASH. This also
created the necessary prerequisite for the generation of laser
radiation with a wavelength of 6.5 nanometres. "That we were able to
reach the planned electron energy and wavelength so fast impressively
confirms DESY's worldwide leading role in the construction and
operation of X-ray free-electron lasers," said Professor Jochen R.
Schneider, DESY Research Director. "At the same time, the research
that can be carried out at these new facilities - which essentially
amounts to 'filming molecules at work' - receives further impetus.
This is of special significance now that the construction of the
European XFEL facility in the metropolitan area of Hamburg is about to
begin."
The FLASH facility of the DESY research centre started user operation
in August 2005. Until 2009, it will be the world's only free-electron
laser to deliver fast pulsed, powerful and ultra-short flashes in the
soft X-ray range for research. Applications for the first measuring
period, which ended in March 2007, already exceeded the amount of
available beam time. In the end, it had to be shared among 16 projects,
which were carried out at FLASH by 200 scientists from 60 institutes
in 11 countries. Their research in various areas of physics, chemistry,
or molecular biology already resulted in more than 35 published
scientific articles. For the second FLASH measuring period, which will
begin in mid-November and last 13 months, the international expert
committee selected a total of 32 projects. Research subjects range
from studies of transient plasma states to the imaging of single
nanoparticles - from rare gas clusters to pico plankton - or studies
of the electron dynamics of technically relevant materials in the
femtosecond range.
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