In accordance with French government recommendations to limit the spread of the CoVD-19 epidemic, SOLEIL management is organizing a very gradual resumption of activity. Thus, the accelerators were restarted on May 21, and the synchrotron light is back on the beamlines since May 26.
The priority in this crisis is to keep our staff, our users and our service providers in good health; to participate in the national effort to contain the pandemic; to protect vulnerable people; to fully secure user operation. We are fully aware that each cancellation of an experiment has a significant impact on a scientific project, a PhD thesis, ...
Faced with this unprecedented situation, adaptations to our operation and strict security measures have been put in place.
The canteen reopened on Monday May 25th, the guesthouse resumes its activity from June, 2nd.
Experimental "red" projects (that is to say involving a well-identified danger), projects that require heavy installations and the intervention of more than two people, as well as projects that involve users coming from abroad cannot be hosted until further notice.
During the whole duration of the experiments, only two people maximum can be present simultaneously on a beamline or an experimental station.
The first week with beam, from May 26th to 31st, was dedicated to restarting the beamlines, to "in house" experiments (carried out by SOLEIL researchers) and to some "green" experiments without hosting users, that is to say with remote access for the beamlines where it is available, with samples sent to SOLEIL.
During the first 3 weeks of June, from June 1st to 21st, only "green" (without any danger) experimental projects will be performed.
From June 23rd, SOLEIL’s Management has set itself the objective of being able to accommodate projects classified as "green" or "yellow" (moderate specific danger), whose users can move according to government measures in force.
Certain "green" projects involving little handling and whose samples can be sent to SOLEIL, could be carried out with a "mail-in" access (at the discretion of the beamline manager).
The beamline managers propose a schedule considering also the projects which require the preparation of samples in support laboratories at SOLEIL, and which can only be carried out by respecting the instructions, in particular on the maximum number of people per laboratory, and which respect the operating conditions of these laboratories.
Unfortunately, it is currently impossible to commit to carrying, in balance, all the planned projects which cannot be carried out because of CoViD-19 (restrictive measures or impossibility in the preparation of samples), the best efforts will be made according to the evolution of the situation.
For projects that can be accommodated and that have received or will receive an invitation in the coming days, the number of participants to be declared must be agreed with the beamline manager to comply with the rule of two people maximum simultaneously present on the beamline or the experimental station, and only during the time allocated to the experiment (2 beamline scientists, or 1 local contact + 1 user, or 2 users, or 1 person from a support group +1 …,).
A specific chapter on SOLEIL security measures in relation to CoViD-19 has been added to the safety training that users must follow online, prior to their arrival on the site. Consequently, all users will have to follow this safety training again, even if the last training was less than a year ago.
Before entering the SOLEIL site, all users must have completed and signed a declaration form on their honor at the reception pavilion to certify that they have not been in contact with a confirmed case of CoViD-19, in the past 14 days. They will also be given a brochure detailing the specific security measures to prevent the circulation of the virus implemented on the site (wearing a mask in certain buildings or under certain circumstances, physical distance, etc.).
Other information may follow depending on the development of the situation and the recommendations of the French authorities.
