LANZHOU, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) — Over 500 Chinese experts gathered for a conference in Lanzhou, northwest China’s Gansu Province, from Wednesday to Friday to explore the integrated use of the Hefei Light Source (HLS) and the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), two major scientific facilities dubbed “super microscopes” to study the structure of the microscopic world.
The HLS is the first synchrotron light source in China, while the CSNS is the country’s first pulsed spallation neutron source and the fourth in the world.
Wang Sheng, deputy director of the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said at the conference that the HLS and CSNS use X-rays and neutrons, respectively, to study the microstructures and properties of matter. Through the integrated use of the two major scientific institutions, complete structural information about materials can be obtained, Wang said.
The scientist explained that the spallation neutron source and the synchrotron radiation source have numerous common user groups and many similarities in key technologies and experimental methods. More than 95 percent of the spallation neutron source users are also light source users, and many research projects require the use of both facilities, he added.
Wang said the conference created a platform for the exchange of ideas between experts and users. He added that participants looked forward to conducting high-level scientific research with the two major scientific devices and promoting the further application of synchrotron light sources and neutron sources in multidisciplinary fields such as materials science, life and environment, energy catalysis and engineering technology.
Experts recommend making full use of the complementary advantages of neutron scattering technology and synchrotron radiation technology to promote interdisciplinary integration, the development of high-tech industries and academic cooperation.
The conference was jointly organized by the University of Science and Technology of China and IHEP. ■
