InternalUnder the site Osdorfer Born, the electron bunches are distributed for the first time into the tunnels in which they will generate the X-ray light.
The site will house the entrance hall to the underground shaft building: a two-storey building, 51 metres long and 23 metres wide, with a height of 9 to 12 metres. Beside this hall, the site will comprise several infrastructure installations such as switchboard plants, pump houses, ventilation systems and warm and cold water stations.
The location of the site, which covers an area of approximately 1.5 hectares, is determined by the length of the accelerator tunnel. The site is situated near the residential area Osdorfer Born, partly on the grounds of a garden plot holder association which was already relocated, and partly on an adjacent green space.
The buildings
Beneath the site Osdorfer Born, the tunnel of the facility branches out for the first time. This is the beginning of the tunnel “fan” in which the X-ray laser flashes are produced. In addition, there is enough room to accommodate a second fan for a possible extension of the European XFEL at a later date.
Due to the complex branching-out of the tunnel, this shaft is much larger than the other shafts of the facility, i.e. 62 metres times 23 metres. With a depth of 30 metres, it is also especially deep, as it also accommodates an electron absorber located beneath the accelerator level. This absorber will be used to slow down particle beams that are not used any further during test operation of the accelerator, in which no X-ray radiation is generated, and during an unplanned switch-off of the facility. During normal operation, this electron absorber will be used to stop particle bunches with insufficient quality in order to protect the sensitive magnet arrangements in which the radiation is produced.
