A Slovenian consortium comprising the University of Maribor and the University of Primorska will be a co-owner of a new X-ray beamline at the renovated Elettra Sincrotrone, an international research centre in the Trieste area. The investment ensures Slovenian researchers will have guaranteed access to state-of-the-art experimental infrastructure close to home.
Dean Korošak, vice-rector for scientific research at the University of Maribor, has confirmed the deal secures specific access rights. “As co-owners, one-sixth of the beamline’s operating time will be dedicated to Slovenian research,” he told the Slovenian Press Agency.
A particular type of cyclic particle accelerator, the synchrotron in Basovizza produces high-quality high-energy X-ray light. “The beam of this light can then be directed from the accelerator to your experiment,” Korošak said. It is used in scientific research to study the structure of materials at a molecular level.
The Slovenian consortium was invited to participate in the project by Austria’s Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), with whom the University of Maribor has been cooperating for many years.
Partnering with TU Graz and the Italian operator, the group will establish a Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) line. This technology utilises high-energy X-ray light to perform non-destructive analyses of structures in the nanometre range. It can be used to study biological macromolecules, nanomaterials, functional composites, polymers and thin films.
“By observing how light scatters on a sample, we can determine its composition. Such tests are useful in the study of proteins and viruses, as well as in nanoelectronics, currently a very popular field, medicine, biology, chemistry and heritage science,” Korošak explained, adding that the renovated facility will be the best instrument of its kind globally upon its launch next year.
The project involves a total investment of roughly €9 million, split equally between the Slovenian consortium, TU Graz and Elettra. The Slovenian share of €3 million was funded by the national research agency ARIS. According to Korošak, this is likely the first instance of Slovenian scientific institutions having their own major fixed research infrastructure abroad.
He highlighted the strategic value of the site in nearby Basovizza. “We cannot bring a synchrotron here, so it is easiest to have it there. Although it is across the border, it is close enough that our researchers will no longer have to go elsewhere to conduct their experiments.”
Procurement for the equipment is currently underway, while the University of Maribor is also discussing further equipment-sharing initiatives with TU Graz to avoid duplicating costs across the region.
