European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

(ESRF)

Grenoble (Fr)

• Members' share in contribution to the annual budget: • 27.5% France

25.5% Germany 15% Italy14% United Kingdom4% Spain4% Switzerland6% Benesync (Belgium, The Netherlands)4% Nordsync(Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden)

• Additional contributions (percentages refer to Members' total contribution):

• 1% Portugal1% Israel1% Austria1% Poland1.05% Centralsync (Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia)

• Budget:The 2009 budget for operating the ESRF is 94 million Euros (including funds dedicated to the Upgrade programme).Staff:About 600 people work at the ESRF.

• Visiting researchers: About 6000 researchers come each year at the ESRF to carry out experiments.

• Applications for beam time:More than 2000 applications are received each year for beam time at the ESRF.Scientific papers:Our users and staff publish about 1600 papers annually on work carried out at the ESRF. 

• Postal Address: ESRF, BP 220, 38043 GRENOBLE CEDEX 9, FRANCE

• Address: ESRF, Polygone Scientifique Louis Néel, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, 38000 GRENOBLE, FRANCE

• Phone / Fax: +33 (0)4 76 88 20 00 / 20 20

APS, USA ESRF, Europe-France Spring-8, Japan

The three largest and most powerful synchrotrons in the world

Bending magnets Undulators

• A typical beamline

How cracks grow in steel A perfect glass? Metallic glass foams: a macroscopic glass model?

Watching grain nucleation What keeps a sand castle together?

 MaterialsFrom metallic alloys and glass to semiconductors and even foams – all sorts of materials can be studies at the ESRF beamlines. Experiments can be carried out in situ, with modification of the operating conditions such as temperature, pressure, magnetic or electric fields, chemical environment, and even with application of a mechanical stress on the sample.

• Liquid crystals in columns for flexible solar cells

• Self-assembled quantum dots

• Magnetic nanoparticles

• Nanoporous materials

• Quantum dot crystals 

• High-pressure alloying of iron and magnesium

• Thermal conductivity in the mantle

• Study of glass from meteorite impact events

• Breathing of apples and pears

• Seeing inside fossils 

Earth ScienceExploration of the world around us is at the origin of all natural sciences. Today, at the ESRF, scientists obtain key information on a variety of mineral and organic materials. Thus it is possible to reconstruct the history of our planet, to improve environmental conditions and to invent a better future.

Life sciencesThe study of protein structures by macromolecular crystallography is essential

for better understanding the processes of life and finding more effective medicines against diseases. Innovative radiotherapy techniques for treating

brain tumours are also developed at the ESRF biomedical beamline.

• Tracking the deadly influenza virus

• New clues on malaria

• Treatment of glioma

• Neurodegenerative iron

• Repairing broken DNA

Fundamental physics Research on fundamental questions extends our understanding of the laws of nature and may lead to major discoveries. Quantum effects, magnetism, order and disorder, surface properties, exotic electronic

behaviour and many more are studied at the ESRF.The mystery of fireballs Metal organic interface Order-disorder fluctuations in alloys

Unusual magnetic properties Broken symmetry in deuterium

 

Challenges in chemistryMany fundamental chemical, catalytic or biochemical

mechanisms are subjects of research at the ESRF. Access to the dynamics of a reaction is now becoming possible due

to the exceptional brightness of synchrotron light.• Photosynthetic oxygen formation

• Filming chemical reactions

• • Oil paintings found in ancient Buddhist caves

• • Improving catalytic converters

• Chemical bonding in the nervous system 

Scientific Highlights

• High resolution and resonance scattering• Materials sience• Soft condensed matter• Structural biology• Surface and interface science• X-ray absorption and magnetic scattering• X-ray imaging and oprics• Methods and instrumentation• Accelerator and X-ray sources

Tesi di ricerca recenti• -Observation of antiferromegnetic domains in

cobalt fluoride (CoF2) by SR X-ray imaging using the inverse piezomagnetic effect.

• Studio della regione di coesistenza di fase fan e ferromagnetica in un cristallo di MnP in prossimita’ del punto triplo.

• Use of X-ray reflectometry and simulated annealing for multilayered film characterization.

Persone che hanno svolto tesi di ricerca a ESRF

• Elisabetta Brunello• Viviana Cristiglio• Pro Tiziana• Paola Pino• Aimo Francesco• Masiello Fabio• Demian S.• Diemoz D• Ghigo David• Federico Segato• Genziana Bussone

Opportunita’ offerte

• Stage di dodici mesi presso ESRF

• Borsa di studio o contributo spese per soggiorno a Grenoble

• Possibilita’ di continuare in ambito di dottorato di ricerca a ESRF, a ILL o a CNRS