The first Taiwan synchrotron light source situated at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) has been operational for twelve years. Scientists from nationwide and all over the world have been swarming in to conduct pioneering scientific research, with remarkable growth in both research quality and quantity, leveled up to world standard.


However, in order to cope with the immense competition in the international scientific arena, and the rapid development of the world synchrotron light sources, the insufficient brightness of the present Taiwan Light Source (TLS) in hard x-ray region, near consumption of all the TLS beam ports, the increasing demand for even brighter synchrotron x-ray source for top-notch research as strongly expressed in the users meeting in the past five years, and also at the crucial moment of the government's grand plan of promoting genomic medicine, biology and nano technology in the country, the former SRRC Board in its Forty-First Meeting in February 2001, had suggested to study the feasibility of building another synchrotron light source with higher electron energy.


Through years of surveys and studies, in response to the critical need for a highly brilliant synchrotron x-ray source for multidisciplinary experimental research in Taiwan , the reorganized NSRRC, in its July Board of Trustees Meeting in 2004, had come up with a decision to propose to the government to construct a Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) and its multidisciplinary experimental facilities. At the end of 2004, near 1000 letters were sent out to researchers and professionals throughout the country inviting their opinion on said plan. In January 2005, said proposal was submitted in the Seventh National Science and Technology Meeting, the feasibility study of building a Taiwan Photon Source was placed as one of the important conclusions in the final report of the Meeting.


In addition to the prompt measures taken in conducting the TPS conceptual design and several visits made for enquiries and consultation at home and abroad, an International Forum on Low-Emittance Intermediate-Energy Synchrotron Light Sources* was held to discuss the design of low-emittance intermediate-energy light sources and new promising scientific research opportunities at NSRRC, followed by five open discussions on new scientific research opportunities and six presentations on the TPS Construction Plan* that took place nationwide with enthusiastic and invaluable feedback. A feasibility study report on the construction of the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) was completed indicating NSRRC's technical capability to build at its present site in seven years a 3~3.3 GeV electron energy, 518 meter circumference, low-emittance synchrotron storage ring which will offer one of the world's brightest synchrotron x-ray sources, provide cutting-edge experimental facilities and novel multidisciplinary scientific research opportunities, enhance world-class academic research, as well as create Taiwan's scientific research marvels in the twenty-first century.

Accelerator Physics Issues for the Taiwan Photon Source