Largest scientific structure in Brazil, Sirius ‘opens its doors’ to the public with virtual guided tour

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), which houses Sirius, the 4th generation synchrotron light super-laboratory, in Campinas (SP), will hold a virtual guided tour inside the largest investment in Brazilian science on May 17. The event celebrates the International Day of Light, celebrated on May 16.

The Campinas (SP) super-laboratory uses synchrotron light to unveil the structure of the most diverse materials at the scale of atoms and molecules.

Virtual visitors will learn about the project and see details of Sirius’ first experimental stations, which use different types of techniques to unveil the structure of various materials at the scale of atoms and molecules. The live broadcast is scheduled to begin at 10 AM, through CNPEM’s YouTube channel.

Sirius in operation

The largest Brazilian scientific project, in July 2020 Sirius performed its first experiments by obtaining 3D images of a protein structure that is crucial to the novel coronavirus life cycle.

In September 2020, a group from the Institute of Physics at USP São Carlos used the accelerator in the search for a “key” to deactivate the novel coronavirus. It was the first experiment by researchers external to Sirius.

In October, the beamline designated Manacá, the first of the 14 planned in the first phase, began to officially operate and to accept proposals for other study projects other than Covid-19.

What is Sirius?

The federal government’s main scientific project, Sirius is a 4th generation synchrotron light laboratory, which acts as a kind of “superpowered X-ray” that analyzes various types of materials at the scale of atoms and molecules.

Other than Sirius, there is only one other 4th generation synchrotron light laboratory operating in the world: MAX-IV, in Sweden.

To observe the structures, scientists accelerate electrons to almost the speed of light, causing them to travel through the 500-meter-long tunnel 600,000 times per second. The electrons are then deflected to one of the research stations, or beamlines, to conduct the experiments.

This deflection is accomplished with the help of superpowered magnets, and they are responsible for generating the synchrotron light. Although extremely bright, it is invisible to the naked eye. According to scientists, the beam is 30 times thinner than the diameter of a strand of hair.

Source: G1