The 411 - The Canadian Light Source Synchrotron

 

The Saskatoon Synchrotron is a research facility located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is officially known as the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron (CLS Synchrotron) and is one of the largest science projects in the country. The synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator that produces intense beams of light called synchrotron radiation.

The CLS was opened in 2004 and is operated by the University of Saskatchewan. It is a national facility that is open to scientists from all over Canada and around the world. The synchrotron is used to study a wide range of scientific fields, including materials science, environmental science, and biomedical research.

The synchrotron works by accelerating electrons to nearly the speed of light and then forcing them to change direction. This produces synchrotron radiation, which is a highly intense and focused beam of light that can be used to study the properties of materials at the atomic and molecular level.

The CLS is home to several different beamlines, which are specialized experimental stations that allow scientists to conduct a wide range of experiments using the synchrotron radiation. Some of the areas of research that are currently being conducted at the CLS include the development of new materials for use in solar cells, the study of new drug compounds, and the analysis of ancient artifacts.

The Saskatoon Synchrotron is a highly specialized and cutting-edge research facility that is helping to advance scientific knowledge in a wide range of fields.