XFEL: European XFEL at Hamburg Night of Science
European XFEL at Hamburg Night of Science
On Saturday, 4 November over 20,000 visitors came to the DESY campus in the west of the city on the occasion of the Hamburg Night of Science and the DESY open day "DESY DAY" to learn more about the research and work done on site. Alongside DESY, European XFEL and other campus partners put on a wide range of activities for the visitors including inspiring lectures, hands-on experiments, educational games and demonstrations. On site at the European XFEL injector and shaft buildings, European XFEL staff presented their facility and research opportunities.
Sparks fly at the Hamburg Night of Science! © European XFEL
Highlights included tasting ice-cream made using liquid nitrogen, watching what happens to marshmallows when put in a vacuum, setting up a burglar alarm with laser beams, exploring the underground tunnels with the help of virtual reality, and posing for photos with the infrared camera.
European XFEL exhibition in the European XFEL shaft building on the DESY campus. © European XFEL
Visitors could also enjoy a laser and light show, film and photo slideshows of the facility, and take a closer look at an original accelerator module. Elsewhere on campus visitors could visit the hall where the modules were tested, the control room of the European XFEL accelerator, and listen to a popular scientific presentation by European XFEL director Robert Feidenhans’l.
Visitors could take a virtual tour of the European XFEL underground tunnels. ©European XFEL
The open day on the DESY campus was part of the 7th Hamburg Night of science, when record numbers of people took the chance to look behind the scenes at over 58 universities, research centres and facilities across Hamburg.
A laser and light show lit the way to the European XFEL exhibition. © European XFEL
Additional information (German only):
DESY Pressemitteilung zu DESY DAY
Besucherrekord am DESY DAY
More impressions of European XFEL at DESY DAY can be found here
