Using high-brilliance x-ray beams from the APS, members of the international synchrotron-radiation research community carry out basic and applied research in the fields of materials science, biology, physics, chemistry, environmental, geophysical, planetary science and innovative x-ray instrumentation. During the year more than 2’500 users will carry out research at the APS, where interdisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers can work together. That annual number of users is expected to grow to more than 4,000 with the implementation of all 70 beamlines.
APS researchers are either members of Collaborative Access Teams (CATs) or independent investigators (IIs), individuals not affiliated with a CAT. CATs comprise large numbers of scientists with common research objectives. These teams are responsible for the design, construction, funding and operation of beamlines designed to take radiation from the APS storage ring and tailor it to meet specific experiment needs. CATs must also allocate 25% of their x-ray beam time to IIs.
