October 29, 2013

A History of Science: Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source

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By Sofia Hu

Driving up Campus Road in the afternoon, you can see many varsity and club athletes practicing on Alumni Fields. But 40 feet underneath them and half a mile in circumference sits the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source.

CHESS is a circular particle accelerator that produces synchrotron radiation in the form of high-intensity, high-energy x-rays. These x-ray beams are instrumental for research in a wide variety of fields, including materials science, biology, and physics. The CHESS facility is connected with the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, which stores the beams of light accelerated by the synchrotron.

Ryan Larkin / Sun VideographerResearch ring | Completed in 1999, CHESS is a circular particle accelerator located underneath the Alumni Fields. At CHESS, high energy x-ray beams aid research in physics, biology and other fields.