8 March 2007
Just a few minutes spent with physicist Evelyne Meier, it is easy to see the new era of young scientists has emerged with a strength and dedication that is both encouraging and inspirational.
Swiss student Evelyne Meier has spent the past four months intensively engaged in research at the Australian Synchrotron. Her studies through Monash are being sponsored by the Centre for Synchrotron Science and School of Physics.
The 25 year old is completing a Masters of Sciences in Physics through Monash University and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland. Her paper is entitled 'Characterization of The Australian Synchrotron Linac'. The research challenge, which awaited her last October, was to work with lead accelerator physicist, Greg Le Blanc, and other scientists, try to improve the efficiency of testing at the newly developed Australian Synchrotron at Clayton.
Ms Meier has carried out research at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) at the Paul Scherrer Institut -- a third-generation synchrotron light source. With energy of 2.4 GeV, it provides photon beams of high brightness for research in materials used in science, biology and chemistry.
Research at the Swiss Light Source and extensive testing over the past five years has seen an increase in the efficiency of transmission through sections of the beam lines to a rate of 92 percent.
The Australian Synchrotron will be more powerful than the SLS, at 3.0 GeV.
Ms Meier was able to improve the level of efficiency of the synchrotron accelerator, which also assisted in a reduction in the loss of particles.
"The research is still very much in its developmental phase, but through actual experiments, as well as a computer generated model, we were able to significantly increase the potential for efficiency," Ms Meier said.
Associate Director of the Monash University Centre for Synchrotron Science, Dr John McDougall said Ms Meier's visit to Monash and the Australian Synchrotron has been an exciting injection of international experience and it has enhanced the global perspective of the centre.
"The Australian Synchrotron is a wonderful facility that will be available to all Australian researchers and it has always been envisaged it would be a destination for scientists from around the world. We are happy to play our part in encouraging this international interchange, particularly when it involves young researchers," Dr McDougall said.
"This is the first of many such visits that we envisage the Centre will be able to support, and is just one of a number of programs that Monash has implemented to play a leading role in the development of synchrotron science in Australia to coincide with the establishment of the Australian Synchrotron here at Clayton," he said.
Evelyne Meier's research will be submitted later this month. The Swiss student plans to travel Australia on a well-earned break, before returning to Switzerland to continue studies at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne.
For more information please contact Ms Samantha Blair, Media and Communications on +61 3 9905 9315 or 0439 013 951
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