Canadian Light Source extends shutdown to fix electron gun
Lengthy repair period leaves researchers searching for space at different facilities
SASKATOON The Canadian Light Source synchrotron at the University of Saskatchewan faces an even longer shutdown after initial repairs to its electron source uncovered the need to replace another critical component.
A CLS news release issued Monday said the facility first underwent an unexpected shutdown on June 27 after the synchrotron suffered an unexpected beam loss caused by a failure within the electron source.
After staff uncovered and completed repairs on several broken components within the main electron gun’s power supply, it was discovered the transformer for the power supply needed to be replaced completely, the release stated.
While the replacement is underway, all scheduled user shifts have been cancelled until midnovember.
The CLS will not accept proposals for new projects to be scheduled between the months of January and June 2019, so the facility can catch up with the backlog of users who were bumped from the schedule.
CEO Rob Lamb said the facility was expecting scientists from across Canada and eight other countries during the period of shutdown, noting they will be stalled in their work unless they can find space in one of the few other synchrotrons around the world.
“They want to come but we don’t have the light to offer them,” Lamb said. “Some people have said they can go to other facilities, but these facilities are unique ... and the result is that they are all very hard to get into.”
Because of the specialized nature and importance of the electron gun and its power supply, it is expected that the shipping, testing, installation and conditioning of the new components will take several weeks, although the CLS has not yet acquired the replacement power supply.
“The moment this happened to us, it sent shudders through the other 19 facilities across the world,” Lamb said.
“And we all learned from each other how to fix it, and we’ve actually had people helping us to put this together and show us how to pull things apart because everybody bands together across the world because of this.”