Preparing for your beam time

The MEX-1 and MEX-2 beamlines are different. Therefore, they require different levels of preparation.

Inductions, start times and visitors at MEX

Inductions
Before conducting an experiment at the Australian Synchrotron, you must complete all relevant inductions. All participants must first complete a Facility Induction online, then when you arrive for your experiment you will complete a separate beamline specific induction, and you may also complete inductions to any of the laboratories that you require access to.

1. Facility Induction (Site Access)

The Facility Induction is carried out online through the portal website before EA submission.
Before entering the main synchrotron building, you must have a valid access card. These are obtained from the User Office in the NCSS building after you have completed your online training. You MUST NOT enter the main synchrotron building without one.

2. Laboratory Inductions

By default Users of the MEX beamline are given access to the main Chemistry Laboratory. You must complete an online laboratory induction and attend an onsite laboratory induction to be able to access this lab. Inductions are run at 9.30am Tuesday to Friday, so you will most likely attend this on the first day of your experiment while the beamline is being setup for you. Please discuss with your beamline scientist before you submit your EA if you think need access to other labs onsite.

3. Beamline Induction (onsite at MEX)

This is an induction specifically for the MEX beamline, provided by your beamline scientist at the start of your experiment. Even if you have attended an experiment at a different Australian Synchrotron beamline, those new to the MEX beamline must undergo an induction. Beamline inductions remain valid for 12 months. All experiment participants are requested to make themselves available for this induction at the beginning of the experiment as a single group, i.e. night shift users must be available at the start also. This is to ensure that beamline staff is available onsite to perform the induction and to ensure that all those involved in an experiment are trained to work safely.

Experiment Start Times

At the start of your experiment, beamline staff will do the primary setup of the beamline optics, sample environment, and energy calibration. Your beamline scientist will contact you beforehand and discuss what time you should come to the beamline.

Your beamline scientist will then provide the MEX beamline induction, and training for you to change and align samples, and to set up your scans. Training can take up to the first full shift of beamline, and will include running test scans of your samples to make sure they are prepared appropriately and to assess potential radiation damage.

Visitors

Users are not authorised to accompany visitors on site at the Synchrotron. Personnel who are not on the Experimental Authorisation form will not be allowed into the main Synchrotron building