Scientists conduct 'post mortem of comet' to find origins of solar system
Leicester University researchers are putting extraterrestrial material from the Comet Wild 2 under the microscope to find the origins of our Solar System. By developing micro manipulation techniques, researchers at the University of Leicester have further dissected the tiny samples to study the comet to atomic precision under a Transmission Electron Microscope. This 'post-mortem of Comet Wild2 has revealed for the first time the true composition of a comet. Read more
Light rays, 10 billion times brighter than the Sun, are being used to probe the Tudor warship, the Mary Rose. The research is taking place at the Diamond synchrotron, a beam-generating machine that covers the area of five football pitches. Scientists are using the facility in a bid to fine-tune the conservation of the historic vessel's timbers. The Mary Rose, pride of Henry VIII's English fleet, sank in 1545 and lay on the sea bed until being raised in 1982.
The hidden content in ancient works could be illuminated by a light source 10 billion times brighter than the Sun. The technique employs Britain's new facility, the Diamond synchrotron, and could be used on works such as the Dead Sea Scrolls or musical scores by Bach. Intense light beams will enable scientists to uncover the text in scrolls and books without having to open - and potentially damage - them. The research was presented at the British Association science festival.
The UK's new synchrotron facility opens its doors for business and welcomes its very first scientific users this week. Top academic teams from Durham, Oxford, Leicester and London have been selected to be the first users of the Diamond Light Source, one of the brightest sources of light in the world.
This week Diamond Light Source, the UK’s brand new synchrotron facility, opens its doors for business and welcomes its very first scientific users. Top academic teams from Durham, Oxford, Leicester and London have been selected to bring their research projects to Diamond and will be available to talk about their work on Tuesday 6 February.
Tuesday 6 February 2007 11:00–11:30 – background briefing 11:30–13:00 – interview opportunities Refreshments and lunch will be provided
The biggest science facility built in the UK for 30 years has produced its first "synchrotron" light beam.
At 2.00am on Tuesday 30th May 2006, Diamond's accelerator team achieved stored beam in the 561.6 metre Storage Ring, which in turn allowed the first observation of synchrotron light. The Diamond synchrotron is described as a series of "super microscopes" that will probe the structure of matter down to the scale of atoms and molecules. The core of the machine is an enormous ring covering an area the size of five football pitches. The ring accelerates electrons in a vacuum to velocities approaching light-speed. As the electrons are steered around the ring by huge electromagnets, they lose energy in the form of synchrotron radiation
Latitude 51.574332° Longitude -1.310874°
Officially known as the Diamond Light Source, the £300m-plus doughnut-shaped facility is sited at a campus in Didcot, Oxfordshire. The project is funded by the UK government and the Wellcome Trust.