European X-ray Free Electron Laser joins EIROforum

The Declaration of Accession of the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL) to the EIROforum is signed by Massimo Altarelli, Chairman of the XFEL Management Board (left) and Francesco Romanelli, current Chairman of EIROforum (right), at the autumn 2010 EIROforum Council Meeting, held in Culham, UK on 8 November 2010. In the back (left to right) are: Francesco Sette (ESRF), Felicitas Pauss (CERN ), Iain Mattaj (EMBL), Richard Wagner (ILL), Rowena Sirey (ESO) and David Southwood (ESA).

The founding members of EIROforum are CERN, EFDA–JET, EMBL, ESA, ESO, ESRF and ILL. They cover the scientific disciplines of particle physics, fusion, molecular biology, space research, astronomy and astrophysics, materials science and neutron research. XFEL is an international research facility that will use ultra-short X-ray flashes to map the atomic details of viruses, decipher the molecular composition of cells, take three-dimensional images of the nano-world, film chemical reactions and study processes such as those occurring deep inside planets.