On 14th of July 2009 at 00:35 AM the first electron beam has been injected from SESAME Microtron, the pre-injector of the future SESAME (Synchrotron light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) machine.

It is a great achievement in SESAME project where concrete evidence on availability of the machine light source has been shown. This comes after big efforts have been done by the working team in order to re-operate the 30-year old classical Microtron given to SESAME by the German BESSY facility. The re-operation has been accomplished through several steps like testing the different subsystems of the Microtron, installing and reconnecting the Microtron in its final position in the experimental hall, and replacing the old vacuum and control systems by new ones.

    SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) will be the first international synchrotron light source in the Middle East region.  It will promote peace and understanding through scientific cooperation.  The members of SESAME are Jordan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority and Turkey .  A Director, Scientific Director, Technical Director, and Administrative Director are on board and an accelerator group of 20 people is finalizing the design and the facility. Phase I scientific program has been finalized and it foresees 7 beamlines from IR to Hard X-rays. The injector complex of the facility consists of 22.5 MeV Microtron and 800 MeV Booster. They are the same ones used in BESSY I with new Power Supplies, Vacuum Pumps and Control System. The 2.5 GeV main Storage Ring (SR) is completely new.  The beam emittance is 26 nm.rad and 12 straight sections are available for Insertion Devices. First photon beam is expected by the end of 2013.

                                   SESAME staff

                    A part of the staff during the first beam

                                        First beam