National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) held a ground-breaking ceremony for the civil construction of Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) on February 7. The ceremony was hosted jointly by Premier Den-yih Wu, Minister Lou-Chuang Lee of National Science Council, prior President Yuan-tseh Lee of Academia Sinica, , and several other chief officers. This was a momentous occasion among domestic scientific and technological communities, and several distinguished scholars and experts also participated in this event to witness the great historical moment.
Premier Wu indicated in his speech that the synchrotron light source is an important experimental light source for scientific and technological communities worldwide. Over 20 years ago, the government began to promote the establishment of the Hsinchu Science Park. During planning for early scientific and technological policies of Taiwan, the government also decided to construct the first synchrotron light source. Since the launching of that light source in 1993, the performance of our accelerator operation has attained a level with that of the other top synchrotron radiation facilities in the world. Numerous scientists at home and abroad have been using the light source to perform cutting-edge research, and the number of users has grown rapidly in the past few years. Through this excellent facility, Taiwan has become well known and influential in the international community, thus proving the vision of the government 20 years ago.
The Taiwan Photon Source Construction Project is a great national program sponsored jointly by National Science Council and the Council for Economic Planning and Development. The objective is to construct a cutting-edge synchrotron light source with an energy 3 billion electron volts of the electron beam and a circumference 518 meters. When TPS is completed, it will become the largest cross-field experimental facility in Taiwan, and can offer one of the world's brightest synchrotron x-ray sources, open numerous prospective scientific research opportunities, enhance world-class academic research to attain international competence, and assist the high-tech industry in improving its research and development capability, while it creates Taiwan's scientific research marvels in the twenty-first century.
Prior President Yuan-tseh Lee of Academia Sinica has pointed out that light plays a critical role in modern scientific development. In addition, the synchrotron light source has become an indispensable instrument for scientific and technological development in the 21st century, and it has already been widely used in fundamental and applied scientific research fields. After TPS is completed, we expect it not only to drive further cutting-edge and internationally competitive research but also to arouse the enthusiasm of the next generation to engage in scientific research. By providing a research environment of this Aladdin’s lamp similar to that of other advanced countries, we yearn for our youngsters to make far-reaching scientific discoveries and thus acquire their scientific laurels.
At NSRRC located in Hsinchu Science Park, our major mission is to operate and to utilize effectively the synchrotron light source facility so that novel research can be performed to enhance our research level and international position. Currently, NSRRC has a light source facility at energy 1.5 billion electron volts, which was dedicated in 1993 October. It was also the first third-generation synchrotron light source built in Asia. This light source was open to domestic and international researchers as of 1994 April. With the gradual completion of peripheral experimental facilities, NSRRC has attracted over 100 domestic and 160 foreign research groups. Approximately 2000 scientists have used the light source to perform the most advanced scientific experiments, covering such varied research fields as materials science, biology, medicine, physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, environmental science, energy, electronics, micro-mechanical engineering, geology, archeology and nanotechnology.
A synchrotron light source has become one of the most important tools for advanced scientific research in the twentieth century. It has been widely used in fundamental and applied scientific research. All three Nobel laureates for chemistry in 2009 have utilized a synchrotron light source to collect data for their research on the structure and function of the ribosome. At present, more than 70 synchrotron light sources are in operation around the world; the establishment of these facilities has become an indicator of each country’s high-tech capability.
NSRRC Website：www.NSRRC.org.tw