The Advanced Photon Source (APS) Upgrade project officially moved into a new phase today, as commissioning of the new storage ring began.

The start of commissioning follows a successful Accelerator Readiness Review (ARR) conducted from March 25-28, and the subsequent approval from the DOE Argonne Site Office. It marks a major milestone in the upgrade project and a big step toward bringing the rejuvenated APS facility to life. 

The upgrade of the APS has been in the planning stages for a decade. Over the past year, the team has removed the original storage ring and assembled not just the 200 modules of the new one, but literally thousands of associated components and systems in its place, followed by a thorough test and checkout of the new systems. The new electron storage ring has been designed to generate X-ray beams that will be up to 500 times brighter than those of the original APS. 

The commissioning process is expected to take much of the next two months to complete, as the Accelerator Systems Division (ASD) begins circulating electrons in the ring, putting the new accelerator through its paces and bringing it up to operational levels.

“We’re excited to begin the process of learning this new machine,” said Vadim Sajaev, associate director of ASD and leader of the commissioning effort. “When it’s complete, we’ll be ready to deliver our vastly improved photon beam to the beamlines and to our users.”