The Initiative toward a Dedicated Synchrotron Light Source A Story of Constructing the SOR–RING

Abstract

Advent of electron synchrotrons created tremendous opportunities in photon associated sciences. However, the initial utilization of light depended on the accelerators built for other purposes, namely, the high energy physics, so that the access was limited mostly in parasitic modes.

Japanese synchrotron radiation users had thus undertaken building an electron storage ring as a dedicated light source as early as 1965, and the construction started in 1970. The first successful storage was accomplished in late 1974, thus the machine “SOR–RING” had become the first purposely built electron accelerator for synchrotron radiation research. It was also unique in that the machine was built mainly by radiation users. The motivations, the processes of construction, and achievements are described.