2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

SESAME: A Scientific Source of Light in the Middle East

SESAME – Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East – is a new, third-generation light source under construction near Amman, Jordan, and scheduled to begin commissioning in mid-2016. It is run by an international organization that promotes scientific excellence and collaboration in the region. Administratively modeled on CERN, SESAME’s members are Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority, and Turkey. Universities in SESAME member-countries are working with operational light sources to build capacity in the region using the machine. A user community of over 300 scientists from the region is preparing for the facility’s first experiments. Magnets for SESAME’s main ring are being commissioned and tested at CERN through a European Union project, while an Italy project is providing the accelerating structures. This session gives a historical overview of SESAME and its mission to develop scientific excellence in the region, a forward look at the SESAME scientific program, and the view of a young scientist preparing one of the facility’s first two beam lines. Speakers will also consider where SESAME fits on the international scientific stage.