Particle accelerators are massive technological devices that, despite their apparent belonging to the world of science fiction, turn out to be deeply intertwined with our daily lives. Therefore, it is of utmost importance – and news worth celebrating – that the first particle accelerator, also known as a synchrotron, will be built in Mexico, which will be the second in Latin America, after the LNLS in Brazil.
What is a synchrotron?
The synchrotron is an accelerator of particles – specifically, electrons – that reach and therefore produce a brightness more powerful than the sun’s rays, 1 billion times more intense than normal light. For this reason, synchrotrons around the world have functioned as a fundamental source of light with which it is possible to study the structure and properties of many objects that would otherwise be invisible to the human eye.
This March 29, the construction of the first Mexican particle accelerator or synchrotron was announced in Mexico City, in the state of Hidalgo, which will look like this imposing structure in Barcelona, the ALBA:
Synchrotron light thus reaches workstations and laboratories
which are part of the structure of the particle accelerator.
The particle accelerator works like a cannon that shoots electrons that are accelerated by magnetic and electrical energy, and that rotate for hours in the vacuum of the enormous ring-shaped structure. This giant gadget will have purposes beyond stimulating our fantasy ―which undoubtedly has an affair with science fiction―, and even beyond searching for the origins of the universe ―with whom we also have an affair and undeniable bond―.
Because, in addition, the synchrotron will reinvent scientific research in various fields, from electrical production to pharmaceuticals, and could even help in the discovery of new treatments against cancer or .
That is why light, and we would say also science, are celebrating. Because this first particle accelerator will help us shed light on the future of Mexico, and position us in an important place within global scientific production and innovation.