The Extremely Brilliant Source storage ring of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

The Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS) is the experimental implementation of the novel Hybrid Multi Bend Achromat (HMBA) storage ring magnetic lattice concept, which has been realised at European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. We present its successful commissioning and first operation. We highlight the strengths of the HMBA design and compare them to the previous designs, on which most operational synchrotron X-ray sources are based. We report on the EBS storage ring's significantly improved horizontal electron beam emittance and other key beam parameters. EBS extends the reach of synchrotron X-ray science confirming the HMBA concept for future facility upgrades and new constructions.

The ID23-1 structural biology beamline at the ESRF.

The demand for access to macromolecular crystallography synchrotron beam time continues to increase. To meet this demand the ESRF has constructed a dual station beamline using a canted undulator system as the X-ray source. The first phase of the beamline to be constructed is ID23-1, a tunable MAD-capable station with a mini-focus X-ray beam. The beamline makes use of well characterized optical elements: a channel-cut monochromator with a high-precision toroidal mirror to focus the X-ray beam. The beamline has been conceived with the aim of providing high levels of automation to create an industrial-like environment for protein crystallography. A new software suite has been developed to permit reliable easy operation for the beamline users and beamline staff. High levels of diagnostics are built in to allow rapid trouble-shooting. These developments are now being exported to the ESRF macromolecular crystallography beamline complex and have been made in a modular fashion to facilitate transportability to other synchrotrons.

Design and performance of ESRF high-power undulator front-end components.

A new high-power front-end has been developed and installed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The new design consists of the replacement of the X-ray absorber and the filtering system. An upstream pre-slit and a compact high-heat-load absorber have replaced the X-ray absorber. A chemical-vapour-deposition diamond window has replaced the beryllium window and graphite filters usually employed. Commissioning has been successfully performed on the ID23 test front-end equipped with three U34 undulators producing synchrotron radiation with a total power of 11 kW and a peak power density of 1200 W mm(-2) at normal incidence.