Find a Beamline
Many beamlines at the APS are managed by Collaborative Access Teams (CATs), which are made up of scientists from universities, industry, and research laboratories. Other beamlines are managed directly by the APS.
There are two ways to access beamlines:
- As a CAT member: If the institution sponsoring your work is already affiliated with a CAT whose beamline is suitable for your research, you may be able to conduct your work at the facility as a CAT member. For more information, see the home pages of the CATs. If you aren't sure if your institution is a CAT member, see the list of institutions that have signed user agreements with the APS; the CAT affiliation is noted in parentheses. Note: CAT membership may apply only to a certain segment of an institution.
- As a General User or Partner User: If your institution is not represented in one of the CATs (or that CAT's beamline is not appropriate), you can can submit a proposal to the APS requesting time as a General User or Partner User.
The following suggestions will help you decide which beamline(s) are suitable.
- Read about APS science to find out what's possible here.
- Consult the techniques directory to see which beamlines support the techniques you need. (This directory lists techniques available to General Users; additional techniques may be available to CAT members.)
- Search the APS publications database by beamline to get an idea of the work that's done at beamlines that interest you.
- Communicate with beamline staff to decide which beamlines are suitable for your purposes. Detailed specifications and contact information for beamlines are provided in the beamline directory.
