Access to the PHOENIX beamline
Industrial users
We offer measurements to industrial users upon request. For further information please contact Dr. T. Huthwelker, phone +41 56 310 5314, E-mail: thomas.huthwelker@psi.ch.
Scientific users
To access the PHOENIX beamline we ask users to submit a beamtime proposal. Please contact beamline staff prior to proposal submission to make sure that your proposal is feasible. Proposals can only be considered if they are submitted electronically using the SLS Digital Users Office (DUO).
Shortly after the submission deadlines (see above), the proposals are reviewed confidentially by the independent committee (Proposal Review Committee - PRC). After review, notification of success or failure is automatically sent to the main proposer by the DUO system. The successful proposals are then scheduled. Scheduling is carried out by the beamline staff.
The scheduling periods and deadlines for calls for proposals can be found at SLS Proposal Calls.
Please consider also our general user information
| Beamlines Call schedule (non-PX) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Experimental Period | 2019-II | 2020-I | |
| Call | 2019/02/08 | 2019/08/08 | |
| Submission deadline | 2019/03/15 | 2019/09/15 | |
| Start period | 2019/07/01 | 2020/01/01 | |
| End period, Normal/Test/Pilot | 2019/12/31 | 2020/06/30 | |
| EVALUATION | closed | closed | |
Beamtime scheduling
To ease the scheduling procedure, it is very important that the proposers fill out that part of the proposal in the DUO requesting information about preferred and inconvenient dates. We will try to suit your needs in the best possible way to schedule the experiments. If you feel that the form does not allow you to provide all information, please contact the beamline scientist directly before the proposal deadline. Please inform us if your scheduling preferences change after proposal submission. Please inform us also, if you have submitted further proposals to other SLS beamlines. This may help us to resolve potential scheduling conflicts.
Scheduling of the machine and beamlines can be found at the SLS Operation Calendar.
Shift Schedule
| Morning Shift: | 07:00 - 15:00 |
|---|---|
| Evening Shift: | 15:00 - 23:00 |
| Night Shift: | 23:00 - 07:00 |
Preparing before beamtime
General information on things that should be organized in advance of beamtime is given at PSI User Office - Before Arrival.
It is strongly recommended that the proposer contacts the relevant beamline scientist (see Staff) to obtain any information required for preparing his/her experiment prior to the beamtime. Please check this website to see what is available at his/her endstation of interest.
It is important that the forthcoming user has checked with the beamline scientist the following considerations:
- Desired photon energy?
- Is variable polarisation needed?
- What detector type is desired (Fluorescence, Transmission, Total electron yield, XAS, XRF)
- What sample environments are needed (temperature, pressure, gases, etc)?
- Sample mounting possibilities and constraints?
User support (in person, or by phone) is available from 08.00 until 20.00 during the week, at the numbers given in Contact Numbers or as discussed with beamline staff. In general, the control room (internal phone 5503) , can be addressed with any problem at any time.
In general, we recommend to contact beamline Staff to discuss the details of the experiment already prior to proposal submission. Please seek contact latest once you have been awarded beamtime.
Setting up an experiment and the beamline is, in general, performed as part of the allocated beamtime. . Under favourable circumstances, it may be possible to complete some part of setting up in the experimental hutch in advance. This depends on whether the hutch is being used by another user immediately prior to one's beamtime. Please check this with the beamline scientist.
In situ experiments
The PHOENIX beamline has special possibilities to perform in-situ experiments. If you plan an situ experiment, please discuss the details of the experiment with the beamline Staff prior to submitting a beamtime proposal. In-situ experiments typically involve major technical and scientific support by the beamline team and make use of some unique features of the PHOENIX beamline. Hence, we ask users, who plan in situ experiments, to seek a direct scientific collaboration with the scientists at the beamline, which aims towards common scientific publications. This issue should be discussed with the beamline scientist prior to the experiment.
Guidelines for user publications
Publications including data from PHOENIX are kindly requested to acknowledge use of the facilities: http://www.psi.ch/sls/experimental-results#Guidelines_for_Publications
and to register all publications in the PSI repository DORA. Please inform the beamline staff about any publication, which results from a measurement at the beamline.
Importing experimental equipment
It is strongly recommended that the user ensures that all necessary preparations have been made for the import of any equipment that needs to be checked through Swiss Customs. Failure to do this can lead to substantial delays and possible loss of some or all of the allocated beamtime. A comprehensive description of the necessary steps to take are given here, including contact details if there are any uncertainties or questions.
Machine status
The current beam status can be viewed at SLS Realtime Status page.
Declaration of risks related to your experiment
If your experiment involves any toxic substances or other risks (toxic, inflammable or explosive gases, acids, dangerous chemical reactions, high voltage, high temperatures, high pressures, etc.) you must declare them in your proposal and discuss it with the beamline staff prior to proposal submission. During the evaluation process of your proposal, PSI experts will assess the safety situation of your experiment. If questions occur during this process, we will contact you and, if needed, take appropriate safety measures for your experiment.
Please think about the worst case scenario which could happen during your experiment and how to prevent danger to people and equipment. Please consider what happens, if cooling water or electricity fails. Do you have over-pressure and over-temperature protection? Are there toxic gases or samples?
Not declaring any risks related to your experiment in a beamtime proposal may lead to cancellation of awarded beamtime, as the safety situation must be checked by default by PSI safety experts prior to your beamtime. If you realize that you have forgotten to declare a risk in a submitted proposal, please contact the beamline staff right away. Please do not wait until your beamtime at the SLS starts. If undeclared risks occur during your beamtime, we might not be able to asses the safety situation together with PSI safety staff right away, and potentially have to stop your experiment, or a part of it. We work hard to take proper care of the safety at the beamline, and need your cooperation to make your stay safe. Please note that you are responsible for safety of your experiment and all equipment and samples you bring to the beamline. Please inform us about all risks related to your experiment in the submitted proposal.
Useful links
Please see also our guidelines for users concerning experimental results
Wiki for PHOENIX beamline (PSI internal only)
SLS operation planning