Reports indicate that Russia has completed construction of the giant SKIF research facility, the Siberian Circular Photon Source, one of the country's largest scientific projects in recent years, with the first experiments expected to begin as early as September or October this year.
The matter came up in a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Science and Higher Education Minister Valery Falkov, who updated him on the project's progress and its expected launch. According to Izvestia.ru, the first experiment will focus on developing a new type of polyethylene.
The facility was built in the town of Koltsovo near Novosibirsk and is based on synchrotron technology, a particle accelerator in which electrons are accelerated to speeds close to the speed of light and move along a circular path. As they move, they emit exceptionally powerful X-ray radiation, allowing researchers to examine materials and three-dimensional structures at the resolution of individual atoms.
Unlike the world's largest accelerator in Switzerland, where particles collide with one another, SKIF does not carry out collisions but generates radiation for research purposes. According to kp.ru, the facility is considered "one of the most advanced of its kind in the world" and is expected to be used for research in microelectronics, structural biology, drug development, materials science, aviation, medicine, chemical reactions and even nuclear fusion research.
The project began in 2020. After the UK, Japan, Germany and Switzerland ended their cooperation in 2022, scientists at the Institute of Nuclear Physics independently developed the missing components.
Science Minister Falkov said the complex includes 34 buildings over an area of about 87,000 square meters (936,000 square feet). In its first phase, seven research stations will operate there, with the possibility of future expansion to 30 stations. The facility is part of a broader national program to build major research infrastructure in Russia, including additional synchrotron facilities and neutron sources across the country.
