Excitement, interest and enthusiasm were present among the participants of the ALBA Open Day 2016. The event was organized by the ALBA Synchrotron for the fifth year in a row. Despite the rain, 2,130 people came to the facility to see their equipment and talk to their scientists and technicians.
The event followed an itinerary composed by different areas of exhibition and demonstration. The participants were able to see the devices where the electrons pass through or those used for manipulating the synchrotron light, as well as to observe the interior of the accelerator's tunnel which was opened on that occasion. Fun demonstrations were organized to allow visitors to know more about concepts like vacuum or pressure, diffraction or spectroscopy. The kids could enjoy their own area where they could follow a treasure hunt around the facility and a spectacular experiment with liquid nitrogen and balloons. At the end of the itinerary, the music band "Les Cateyes", composed by members of the ALBA staff, explained how a synchrotron works with their songs. Besides, four conferences were given about particle accelerators (by Caterina Biscari), applications of synchrotron light for studying cultural heritage (Glòria Molina, UPC researcher and ALBA user), synchrotron light sources (Pep Campmany, head of magnetic measurements) and applications of synchrotron light in medicine (Christina Kamma-Lorger, NCD beamline scientist). The participants also had the opportunity to use an audio guide which offered information about the different stops in the itinerary.
"Today it's been a day of celebration not only for our visitors but also for our staff, proving that ALBA is a worldly recognized advanced center of research, but also a great place where to work and live", according to Caterina Biscari, director of the ALBA Synchrotron.
The visitors were very active at Twitter and Instagram, uploading images and comments followed by the hashtag #ALBAOpenDay, that were visible in the different monitors placed in the building.
The ALBA Open Day was held thanks to the contribution of 82 volunteers from the ALBA Synchrotron who helped in the coordination of the event and also giving explanations and informing the visitors. It is also worth mentioning the support from Civil Protection, who generously offered their experience during the whole day.
Like in previous editions, the tickets for the ALBA Open Day ran out two weeks before the event. The access was free however required booking through the internet.
The ALBA Synchrotron has developed an outreach program, which includes the organization of the ALBA Open Day as well as guided tours inside the facility. Both activities welcome more than 6,000 visitors every year.
The ALBA Open Day was organized with the support of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) - Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, La Caixa Foundation and the Catalan Government.
View of the experimental hall, at the beggining of the itinerary. Next, selfie in front of the open tunnel.
The Kids Area full of activities and games. Next, a member of the Accelerators division explains how the radiofrequency canvity works.
