The ILL officially enters a new era
The completion of the ILL Endurance upgrade programme was officially celebrated yesterday, 27 November 2024, in the presence of representatives of the ILL Associate Countries – France, Germany and the United Kingdom – and of several ILL Scientific Member Countries, European neutron facilities and key partner institutions.
“The completion of Endurance places ILL in the strongest position it has ever been, and sets us up to capitalise on the new capabilities by delivering high-impact science to address the highest priorities in societal challenges for the coming decade,” said ILL Science and Associate Director Jacques Jestin.
For over 50 years, the ILL has been the world’s leading facility for neutron science, and has set the gold standard for running a scientific user facility. The completion of the Endurance Programme marks the conclusion of more than two decades of continuous investment. Within the last seven years, Endurance has delivered 30 new and upgraded instruments and infrastructures, with a total investment of around 50 M€.
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From left to right: Salah Dib (CEA, France), Patrice Boom (SERI, Switzerland), Ewa Juszynska-Galazka (PAN, Poland), Hartmut Abele (UT Wien, Austria), Jacques Jestin (ILL Science and Associate Director), Jeremy Lumb (UK Embassy in Paris), Rachel Reynolds (STFC, UK), Arnaud Desmedt (Director of Lab Léon Brillouin, France), Charles Simon (CNRS, France & former ILL Director), Stephan Förster (FZ Jülich, Germany, Director).
From left to right: Matthias Meheust-Kemp (UK Embassy in Paris), Andreas Meyer (ILL Technical and Associate Director), Helmut Schober (ESS Director & former ILL Director), Katrin Nostadt (BMBF, Germany), Chris Matthews (BEIS, UK), Sylvain Ravy (CNRS, France), Jean Daillant (ESRF Director), Roger Eccleston (ISIS Director, UK), Nicolai Naverstad (Agency for Science and Higher Education, Denmark).
From left to right: Laurent Nalpas (CEA), Helen Beadman (STFC), Grahame Blair (STFC, Executive Director), Ken Andersen (ILL Director), Sandrine Lyonnard (CEA, France), Wojciech Zajac (PAN, Poland), Eckart Lilienthal (BMBF, Germany), Charles Dewhurst (ILL deputy Technical Director), Victoria Garcia Sakai (STFC, UK & UK User representative), Stéphanie Le Van (CNRS, France).
The celebration was also the official inauguration of the resulting suite of 43 state-of-the-art neutron instruments which is unique in the world. After a welcome address by ILL director Ken Andersen, the Endurance Programme was presented by Technical and Associate Director Andreas Meyer. Presentations by ILL scientists on highlights of Endurance followed, as well as a visit to some of the new and upgraded instruments. A toast and a final address by ILL’s Science Director concluded the session.
Andreas Meyer highlighted that “Our scientific users will come to these facilities to make pioneering discoveries in fields such as novel batteries, advanced manufacturing, quantum materials, and the fight against infectious diseases.” The Endurance Programme has delivered unprecedented capabilities across a range of techniques such as neutron imaging, neutron polarisation analysis, sample environments, as well as new data treatment software. In Andreas Meyer’s words, “Modernised support instruments and facilities for neutron technology R&D will continue to deliver groundbreaking instrumentation, ensuring that our instrument suite remains at the cutting edge, while benefiting other European neutron facilities.
Caterina Michaelagnoli presents her instrument FIPPS and its newest capacities after its relocation at the end of the neutron guide H24.
“With the completion of the Endurance programme, the ILL has consolidated its position as a world-unique and state-of-the-art facility for neutron science in the decade to come” concludes ILL director Ken Andersen.
Matthew Blakeley presents the second protein crystallographer DALI, which doubles the capacity and throughput of protein crystallography measurements with an increased neutron flux and flexibility due to the use of a velocity selector.
Jean-Marc ZANOTTI introduce SHARPER - the new cold neutron time-of-flight spectrometer that joined the ILL instrument suite as a French CRG.
Stanislav SAVVIN presents XtremeD, a new diffractometer tailored to endure extreme conditions - here pictured with a cryostat customed-made by ILL Sample Environnement expert group.
Sylvain PREVOST explain the modifications brought to D11 - the oldest ILL instrument. With its renewed neutron guide, combined with its new collimation and new detector, D11 will reach performance comparable with D22 and D33.