European XFEL GmbH - Season’s Greetings 2009
Dear friends of the European XFEL,
The year that is about to finish was momentous in the history of the European XFEL.
It started in January with the launch of the civil construction work, with DESY signing all relevant contracts and orders on behalf of the not yet existing European XFEL Company. At present, three huge construction sites, corresponding to the major shafts and underground buildings, are in full swing. Visitors from the surrounding neighbourhoods and scientists from far away countries are climbing the observation platforms in DESY-Bahrenfeld and in Schenefeld to monitor the progress; others, more convenient in the weather of these December days, prefer to do this through the webcam images on our website. In summer, work started also on the new building of the Accelerator Module Test Facility (AMTF), built by DESY to prepare for the massive task of testing the performance of hundreds and hundreds of superconducting cavities.
While the technical progress has continued on many fronts, in many laboratories, and successful prototypes were assembled in countries as far from Hamburg as China, the political process has also made spectacular progress. In September the translators’ cross-checking conference established the final text of the foundation documents in six different languages. These final documents, including the convention concerning the “Construction and Operation of the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser Facility”, the articles of association of the European XFEL GmbH company and the final act, were ceremonially signed in the town hall of Hamburg on 30 November 2009 by high-ranking representatives of ten countries (Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland). China, France, and Spain could not sign on this occasion for various internal reasons, but they are expected to do so in the coming weeks or months.
In the meantime, the European XFEL GmbH company, created and registered in Hamburg at the end of September by DESY as the sole shareholder, acquired five additional shareholders after the convention signature. The new shareholders are the governments or research organizations from Denmark, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. Further shareholders from the other signing countries will soon join. Professor Helmut Dosch, Chairman of the DESY Directorate, is Chairman of the Council; the Management Board is composed of Massimo Altarelli (Chairman) and Karl Witte (Director of Administration) as Managing Directors, and Serguei Molodtsov, Andreas Schwarz and Thomas Tschentscher as Scientific Directors. With the first meetings of the Scientific Advisory Committee SAC and the Machine Advisory Committee MAC on 25 to 26 January 2010 and a meeting of the European XFEL Council scheduled for 23 February 2010, normal operations of the new company are taking shape.
On the other hand, the Science and Technology Facilities Council of Great Britain announced on 16 December that they will withdraw from the European XFEL project for financial reasons. All those who appreciate the role of UK scientists in the international scientific institutions of Europe regret this decision, as do many British scientists.
With the actual construction of the facility well under way, with the political and organizational frame in place, the European XFEL is definitely on the map of advanced research in Europe. This, in turn, should accelerate the recruitment progress. The best talent and expertise of Europe are needed to tackle the formidable task of completing the construction of the facility in time and within the available budget. This is our job for the years to come. The partnership with many experienced laboratories, starting from the close and strong relationship with our host laboratory DESY, is of great support in this endeavour.
To the members of our committees and to all supporters and friends of the European XFEL in the participating countries: the best wishes for a happy 2010 from the whole staff!
