Inside Diamond - Backstage Science

A rare shutdown of the Diamond Light Source allows us to look deep inside the giant synchrotron.

[@LiiMuRi]

What I always find so amazing in these large scale research facilities is how they have had to design the whole thing, down to the smallest part, and then build it without missing a screw! I mean they have to be quite precise. Forget a tiny little piece somewhere and it may not work. Truly great engineering.

[@DiamondLightSource]

@SuperTechieJ - we mainly generate X-rays, the exact wavelength depends on the experiment. We can also generate infrared and UV light.

[@DiamondLightSource]

@anonysquirrel - if you think of acceleration as a vector (i.e. it has size *and* direction), then the electrons are accelerated as they are changing direction, and it's this change in direction that generates light. But they don't gain any energy - they get up to 3 GeV in the booster and then that it just maintained in the storage ring.

[@AntiProtonBoy]

These vids are top quality, both from the content and production perspective. I have to agree with comments related to music though, it is a bit cheesy. Apart from that, simply awesome. Keep it up!

[@quantumbits]

That was great! Thank you.

[@DiamondLightSource]

@trespire - you're right - the magnets bend the charged electrons, but the uncharged photons carry straight on.

[@BackstageScience]

@dreasim glad you liked it! I think it's more fun to see it as a candid walk-through too... gives a better idea of what it is like to really be there! That is how the films are supposed to feel.

[@trespire]

@wyvernlord23 If I understood correctly, the electrons continue around the ring after they have emitted photons. It is not explained in the video, but you can see in 4:33 the red blob takes a right turn while the white blob continues straight. I'm not sure but I don't remember photons carry a charge so they are not effected by magnetic fields. I'm sure electrons have a negative charge.

[@DrAllan1]

Wow very very cool, keep up the good work!

[@wesmatron]

Absolutely amazing

[@x86cowboy]

simply AMAZING.

[@trespire]

@YoutuChannel I know what you mean, all that sensitive equipment covered in concrete dust ! But if you look at 0:57 there is reflection from the lighting overhead. This looks like a type of high grade concrete (usually non previous to oil), and the casting looks smooth and precise so it can be cleaned very well and will not give off much particles (dust).

[@DiamondLightSource]

@Draxis32 - as the electrons pass through dipole ("bending") magnets they give off a wide span of light, from infrared to X-rays. So if you want infrared you use a bending magnet. Wigglers make the electrons bend lots of times, and you can tune the path (a bit) to tune the frequency, but also lots more bends means lots more photons, so the light is also brighter. Does that make sense?!

[@matthewbeardmore]

So the part that generates light from the electrons is basically a free electron laser?

[@TheBetterGame]

Brady, you need to get someone to Interview YOU. you are the missing peice of information many of us clamor for.

[@htmlrules]

Awesome

[@holdmybeer]

im glad to see tesla's name on the magnet's.

[@DiamondLightSource]

The cranes are permanent fixtures, we can't take them out! @alewisgb - obviously the lifetime of the electrons in the ring varies, but it is several hours. When we're operating in top-up mode, we do top up the beam every ten minutes or so with new electrons.

[@igorcoreixas]

nice brady!

[@HomeDistiller]

easy word to say to explain this video... WOW

[@Draxis32]

4:30 So lemme see if I got this straight...he wiggles the electrons, therefore making the electrons vibrate in some frequency, is that frequency that defines if we're gonna get infrared or X-rays I suppose? Maybe the amount of dipole permanent magnets or the amount of time.

[@bemanos12345]

nice

[@galben-yehuda109]

funny that with that kind of hi-tech expensive machinery they wrap some parts with aluminum foil that i have in my kitchen.. hehe

[@JRush374]

Why does the electron create light when it goes back and forth in those dipole magnets? At 4:18 in the video...

[@BackstageScience]

@mrteemumilto there are a number of those cranes... you saw just one of them...hence cranes "like this"... because the crane you saw does not do all of them. Gosh, I think that is enough of that topic for me! :)

[@wyvernlord23]

So... Where do the electrons go after thy emit the light? Are they collected or just shot off?

[@shrujan2010]

cool

[@BackstageScience]

@mrteemumilto I don't think he says what you think he says... he says new pieces of kit (eg: a big new magnet for the synchrotron, etc) need to be put in somehow, and that is done by lifting the concrete slabs... The slabs are lifted with the cranes attached to the roof... He never said the cranes are brought in did he? It's the new pieces of kit for the ring that are brought in (after being made elsewhere)! Listen again!!!

[@BackstageScience]

@jeebersjumpincryst music's expensive!!! but luckily a few musicians have come out of the woodwork now and are donating us some better tracks....

[@jeebersjumpincryst]

@AntiProtonBoy yes - i also have to agree with your agreement to the comments relating to the cheesey music. Sorry Brady, its horrible, imo :( But apart from that, what a really amazing series this Diamond Light Sauce is turning into!!! AntiProtonBoy hits the nail nicely on the head with his quality comment. :)

[@thereasonabletroll68]

brady is that you?

[@brenoakiy]

what's the music name?

[@DiamondLightSource]

@anonysquirrel - if you think of acceleration as a vector (i.e. it has size *and* direction), then the electrons are accelerated as they are changing direction, and it's this change in direction that generates light. But they don't gain any energy - they get up to 3 GeV in the booster and then that it just maintained in the storage ring.

[@DiamondLightSource]

@wyvernlord23 - the electrons keep going round the ring as they emit light - emitting light does cause them to lose energy but this is given back by the magnets in the storage ring.

[@DiamondLightSource]

@wyvernlord23 - the electrons keep going round the ring as they emit light - emitting light does cause them to lose energy but this is given back by the magnets in the storage ring.