Visit to SOLEIL by Philippe BAPTISTE, Minister for Higher Education and Research

On Friday, 14 March 2025, Philippe BAPTISTE, Minister for Higher Education and Research, reporting to Élisabeth BORNE, Minister of State, Minister for National Education, Higher Education and Research, visited SOLEIL as part of the “One Step Closer to SOLEIL II” event.

He was welcomed by Antoine PETIT, President and CEO of CNRS, and François JACQ, General Administrator of CEA, each representing one of SOLEIL’s two supervisory institutions.

In the foreground, Philippe Baptiste, Minister for Higher Education and Research, accompanied by Jean Susini, Director General of SOLEIL. In the background, Amor Nadji and Amina Taleb (Synchrotron SOLEIL), Antoine Petit, President and CEO of the CNRS, and Benoit Forêt (CNRS). In the third row, François Jacq, General Administrator of the CEA, Stéphanie Hustache (Synchrotron SOLEIL), and Thierry Dauxois (CNRS).

The Minister was given a tour of the facilities by Jean SUSINI, Director General of SOLEIL, Amina TALEB, Scientific Director, and Amor NADJI, Director of Accelerators and Engineering Division, accompanied by Paul MIDY, Member of Parliament for the 5th constituency of Essonne, and Thierry DAUXOIS, President of the SOLEIL Council.

After visiting the experimental hall, which houses the synchrotron’s 29 beamlines, and the accelerator control room, Philippe BAPTISTE and his delegation were given an insight into the technological challenges SOLEIL teams are currently addressing as part of the SOLEIL II project. The first prototypes of a magnet and a vacuum chamber, compared with the current components, illustrate the remarkable design and engineering achievements required to meet the miniaturisation constraints imposed by the new storage ring and achieve the exceptional performance targeted for SOLEIL II.

Amor NADJI, Director of the Accelerators and Engineering Division, presents Philippe BAPTISTE, Minister for Higher Education and Research, with a prototype SOLEIL II quadrupole magnet.

The visit continued with a meeting with the MARS beamline team. Myrtille HUNAULT presented the activities of this unique facility, specially designed and equipped for the study of highly radioactive materials.

On the left, Jean SUSINI, Director General of SOLEIL, guides Philippe BAPTISTE through the synchrotron’s experimental hall. On the right, Paul MIDY, Member of Parliament for the 5th constituency of Essonne, and Maguy JABER, the Minister’s Research Adviser.