FAREWELL TO 2023 — LOOKING FORWARD TO 2024!

2023 has been an amazing year at the APS and for the Upgrade, and in a way not ‘typical’ for the facility in over 25 years. 

Twelve months ago we were still about 100 days from shutting down the original APS accelerator. We’d conducted several tests and our dedicated team had assembled dozens of modules of the new storage ring. Though we knew the year ahead would be challenging, we were ready. Now we are eight months into the year-long shutdown, and here is where we stand with the storage ring:

• All 200 modules of the new storage ring have been installed.
• The mezzanine equipment is fully installed and checked.
• Full systems checks are in progress around the whole of the storage ring, with about one-quarter of the systems checked out.

Honestly, this is fantastic. The team had a plan, which had been checked and double checked, but actually accomplishing it despite surprises that occur along the way is incredible. 

The shutdown of the APS began on April 17, and by the beginning of June we had removed all of the original APS magnets from the tunnel. (Those magnets will now find a second life in the Electron-Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory.) In July we began the installation phase, and in just a couple of months we’ll be ready to start commissioning the new accelerator.

Transporting and installing even one of the new accelerator modules takes an enormous amount of work from a large team of people. You can follow the journey of one of those modules in this video to see what I mean. It’s only because of the dedication and safety-consciousness of the team that we’re so close to the finish line.

Of course, that’s only half the story, and as the storage ring work prepares to wind down, construction on the new and updated beamlines is now in full swing. In addition to the feature beamlines and enhancements included in the Upgrade, nearly every beamline across the facility is being improved and prepared for next year’s restart.

In 2023 progress included new shielded enclosures for four feature beamlines (the High-Energy X-ray Microscope (HEXM) and In-Situ Nanoprobe (ISN) in the Long Beamline Building, the X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS) beamline at 8-ID and the Coherent Surface Scattering Imaging (CSSI) beamline at 9-ID). We’ve started construction on the POLAR beamline at 4-ID, built new enclosures at Sector 11, and installed new optics and new components around the ring.

We recently completed the installation of the Grand Tube at 9-ID. If you missed the video showing the month-long assembly of this 70-foot-long enclosure, you really should see it. The video emphasizes the coordinated, sustained effort it takes to safely put these enormous scientific devices together, and the teamwork between our staff and our industrial partners to execute the move safely.

We’re ending 2023 in a good place, and we remain on track to bring the upgraded APS to life and re-start user operations in 2024. Next year is going to be a whirlwind of activity, from commissioning the new storage ring to completing feature beamlines to first experiments using the new capabilities. As much as 2023 has been a year of transformation for the facility (so far), we are all looking forward to the safe restart of user operations next year and the exciting science the renewed facility will enable.

Big changes and events like we have had in 2023 are always exciting, but also challenging. There is always uncertainty. One thing I was not uncertain about last year was the quality of people on the team. I am reminded regularly of the ‘can do’ attitude of everyone assisting the Upgrade, from across the Laboratory, the DOE and our industry partners. Next year will have some uncertainty as well, but again I know with the quality of the team we will find a way to deliver the Upgrade, safely.

Speaking of quality people, I look forward to spending a little time over the holidays with my family and friends. I hope you also spend and cherish some time with the people in your life, whichever holiday you may celebrate. We’ll see you in 2024!

Sincerely,
Jim Kerby
Director, APS Upgrade Project