How can we precisely deliver an ultra-low flow atomic beam into a cryogenic UHV environment?

At the AEgIS experiment at CERN’s Antimatter Factory, millions of antiprotons are captured and cooled to subthermal temperatures in cryogenic (<10 K) Penning-Malmberg traps, consisting of segmented cylindrical electrodes (3 cm in diameter). This setup enables long-term storage of antimatter (up to several days at pressures below 1e-15 mbar) for studies of antimatter-bound systems.

AEgIS aims to use these trapped antiprotons as targets for a subthermal or thermal atomic beam to investigate antiproton-atom interactions at ultra-low energies. As a proof of principle, isotopically pure krypton gas (boiling point 120 K) will be used.

One proposed approach is to inject krypton gas through a 40–50 cm long capillary. One end of the capillary is connected to a low-pressure reservoir (<1e-6 mbar at 300 K) via a valve, while the other end acts as a nozzle inside the cryogenic trap. The gas is directed radially through a hole in one of the trap electrodes, forming an atomic beam aimed at the trapped antiprotons.

To prevent freezing, the capillary must be heated above 120 K prior to injection. The injection itself occurs over a timescale of a few seconds. Ideally, the beam flow can be adjusted by tuning the reservoir pressure, enabling systematic studies.

This setup presents several technical challenges, including:
– How can we accurately estimate and control ultra-low flowrates, down to millions of atoms per second?
– How can we minimize heat load on the Penning-Malmberg trap during pre-injection heating of the capillary?
– How can we achieve a collimated atomic beam from the capillary nozzle (e.g., via a skimmer)?
– How can we minimize gas contamination in the trapping region after injection?

We are seeking ideas and expertise from vacuum engineering, materials science, microfabrication, cryogenic engineering, and related technical fields.

How can treated wastewater be reused in industrial cooling systems through modular, scalable, non-chemical solutions?

Research infrastructures such as CERN require massive volumes of cooling water, often in the range of millions of cubic metres annually. To meet sustainability goals and reduce dependence on potable water, there is a growing need for innovative, circular solutions for industrial-scale cooling applications.

We are seeking a non-chemical, scalable and energy-efficient solution for treating municipal wastewater effluent to a quality suitable for use in closed-loop industrial cooling systems. The target is to treat at least 100 m³/h, with scalability up to 400 m³/h, at a total cost competitive with potable water supply.

How can advanced technologies such as membrane filtration, UV-C, AOPs, CDI or hybrid electrochemical systems be adapted or combined into a compact, modular solution that meets environmental, operational and economic requirements for large-scale deployment?

How can low grade waste heat from technical infrastructures and plants at 45–55°C be safely and efficiently reused without chemical treatment?

We invite innovators to contribute solutions for a water-based cooling system at CERN, that supports both the thermal management needs of high-performance research infrastructure and enables low-grade heat recovery for use in district heating networks.

The system must operate in the 40–55 °C temperature range — optimal for recovering waste heat from magnets, power converters, RF systems, pumps, and motors — but also favourable for Legionella growth. Conventional mitigation through chemical biocides carries environmental and operational drawbacks.
We seek scalable, modular solutions that ensure safe, continuous operation at flow rates exceeding 150 m³/h, entirely without chemical additives or disinfectants. Technologies of interest may include UV-LED and pulsed UV systems, ultrasonic treatment, antimicrobial surfaces, hydrodynamic cavitation, or low-temperature plasma, among others.

How can such technologies be adapted or integrated into an environmentally sound, non-chemical system that enables energy recovery and contributes to the decarbonisation of heating in urban and industrial contexts?

How can evaporative cooling systems be designed to minimize water use, energy consumption, and noise with AI technologies?

Particle accelerator-based research facilities, as well as nuclear fission and fusion plants, rely on closed-loop water cooling systems coupled with evaporative towers to dissipate excess heat. These systems consume large amounts of water, require additional electricity, produce noise, and often impact the visual landscape of rural and urban surroundings.

We invite participants to design next-generation evaporative cooling systems that dynamically adapt in real time to variable thermal loads, weather patterns, and seasonal changes. Current systems, often based on static or semi-automated SCADA control, lead to overcooling, inefficiency, and water waste.

The challenge is to integrate intelligent control strategies using AI and machine learning to predict cooling needs, regulate fan speeds, manage water flow, and optimize operation cycles based on sensor data, weather forecasts, and live operational data from the research facility (e.g., accelerator, reactor).

How can a smart evaporative cooling system be developed with real-time responsiveness, predictive maintenance, and digital twin capabilities—ensuring dynamic control, increased sustainability, and broader applicability across research, industrial, and urban cooling contexts?

How can a better molecular-level understanding of gas behavior in detectors guide the design of sustainable gas mixtures?

Understanding gas behavior to guide eco-friendly design. Gaseous particle detectors at CERN use a variety of gas mixtures—such as R134a, CF4, C4F10, and SF6—to achieve performance goals like high rate capability, stability, and time resolution.
These performance often depends on specific gas behaviors—such as electron drift, ionization, or quenching—that are not fully understood at the molecular level. For instance, CF4 improves drift velocity but the mechanism is unclear; R134a increases cluster density which aids performance in Resistive Plate Chambers; SF6 helps limit streamers due to its strong electron affinity.
Understanding how these effects arise at a microscopic scale could enable the development of alternative gas mixtures with similar effects but lower environmental impact.
 
Participants are invited to contribute ideas on:
Bridging gas-phase chemistry and detector physics for targeted design.
Molecular simulations or electron-molecule interaction models.
Computational or experimental techniques to study these effects.

How can deep and narrow flat holes (Ø 1–3 mm, depth up to 150 mm) be precisely machined in pure tungsten for thermocouple placement?

CERN accelerator targets and beam dumps are often made of large tungsten disks, which are subjected to high-energy particle beams. These beams deposit significant amounts of energy into the refractory metal, leading to local heating and potential material challenges.

To monitor the behaviour of the beam dump during operation, it is crucial to measure the temperature of the tungsten close to the beam impact area. This requires the precise machining of deep and narrow flat holes in tungsten, where thermocouples can be placed and pressed to ensure reliable measurements of temperature variations.

Such measurements are essential for detecting and addressing potential issues related to beam energy deposition in tungsten targets and beam dumps.

How can pristine surface polishing of large pure tungsten cylinders (Ø 250 mm × h 350 mm) be achieved to meet narrow tolerances and very low surface roughness requirements?

Future CERN accelerator targets will be built from large tungsten disks. These disks must be joined using Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP), with tantalum as a bonding metallic layer.

For the HIP process to be successful, the tungsten surfaces need to meet very strict requirements: narrow dimensional tolerances (flatness and parallelism of disk faces) and extremely low surface roughness. Achieving such precision is critical to ensure high-quality bonding between the tungsten disks.

Improved bonding reduces the risk of interfacial thermal resistance across the joints, thereby increasing both the reliability of the HIP process and the long-term performance of the tungsten targets.

How can we design a safe and cost-effective handling system for heavy lateral inserts (brass and iron plates, several tons each) with limited space for access to allow fast exchangeability during operation?

What methods can be developed for precise alignment and modular assembly of about ~235-ton magnets (several magnets of different weights, and a total of about 1200-1500 tons) inside confined spaces (ECN3 cavern, TCC8 tunnel, crane capacity 30t)?

8100: How can nitrogen be effectively removed from recirculated gas mixtures used in particle detectors?

8103: Which material can efficiently capture R134a from air at ppm concentrations, enabling recovery rather than loss?

8100: Large-scale detectors often recirculate gas mixtures containing expensive or environmentally harmful components to reduce cost and emissions. However, nitrogen from air ingress tends to accumulate over time and cannot be easily filtered like oxygen or moisture. The current solution—diluting with fresh gas—reduces the benefits of recirculation.
Industrial membranes used for nitrogen separation are not optimized for the gas compositions in particle detectors, resulting in low efficiency.
 
Participants are invited to explore:
Advanced gas separation technologies suitable for detector environments.
Novel membrane materials or designs targeting nitrogen selectivity.
Methods for integrating nitrogen removal into closed-loop gas systems.


8103: Leaks of R134a from detectors can release this greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. In cases where the leak is inaccessible, containment is not possible. CERN is testing industrial materials like molecular sieves and Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs), but lacks in-house expertise on these technologies. Ideally, captured R134a could be desorbed and recovered, avoiding incineration and allowing reuse.
 
Participants are invited to propose:
Materials or technologies with high affinity and selectivity for R134a at low concentrations.
Regeneration techniques for absorbed gas to enable recovery.
Practical strategies for deploying such materials in CERN’s operational context.

How can we monitor the state-of-health of a large radar and diagnose faults using AI?

Since 1981, EISCAT AB operates high-power ionospheric research radars (incoherent scatter radars) in Northern Fenno-Scandinavia and on Svalbard, which provide detailed information of the atmosphere and ionosphere from about 70 km altitude upwards, even as far away as the Moon. Currently, the next-generation tri-static EISCAT_3D radar is being deployed at three locations forming roughly an equilateral triangle of ≈120 km: the transmitter-receiver is located at Skibotn (south-east of Tromsø, Norway), and two receivers are at Kaiseniemi (north-west of Kiruna, Sweden) and at Karesuvanto (north-east of Kiruna, in Finland).

EISCAT_3D is a fully modular phased-array radar. The Skibotn site consists of 119 antenna units, which combine 91 crossed-dipole antennae each (10,829 in total), while the receiver sites are half the size with roughly 5000 antennae each.

At Skibotn, while the full array will be used for reception, currently 37 antenna units are planned to serve as transmitters, which means that for each antenna unit, there will be 91 x 2 solid state amplifiers of 500 W covering both polarisations (≈3.4 MW in total). Eventually, 109 antenna units will become transmitters.
The radar will be controlled remotely, and all data will be collected in a dedicated data centre.
For this complex system at three remote locations, we are looking for an efficient state-of-health monitoring solution, which can provide us with real-time information on the performance of the facility as well as with environmental and other status information, including the status of the data centre, the network, and intra- as well as inter-site timing. However, the system should be able to be extended as needed to include new facilities and instruments.

The system health status should be accessible via an app for mobile phones, through which alerts can be delivered as push notifications. Alerts should come in three categories of severity, green, yellow, and red. The app should be able to override all silence setting of the phone and deliver red alerts instantly. The app should be coupled to our CCTV cameras for quick inspection of security alerts.

Based on this information, in case of a fault or below-par performance, a process using artificial intelligence should be able to make a suggestion as to what the problem might be.

How can we visualise complex volumetric (4D) radar data in real-time?

Since 1981, EISCAT AB operates high-power ionospheric research radars (incoherent scatter radars) in Northern Fenno-Scandinavia and on Svalbard, which provide detailed information of the atmosphere and ionosphere from about 70 km altitude upwards, even as far away as the Moon. The upper atmosphere and near-Earth space at high latitudes is of particular interest, because here the atmosphere is most affected by changes in space weather, i.e. disturbances originating on the Sun. Space weather at high latitudes can, e.g., degrade satellite navigation signals and affect radio communication. The most well-known manifestation of space weather are the polar lights.
Currently, the next-generation tri-static EISCAT_3D radar is being deployed at three locations forming roughly an equilateral triangle of ≈120 km: the transmitter-receiver is located at Skibotn (south-east of Tromsø, Norway), and two receivers are at Kaiseniemi (north-west of Kiruna, Sweden) and at Karesuvanto (north-east of Kiruna, in Finland).

EISCAT_3D is a fully computer-controlled phased-array radar. The direction of the pulsed transmitter beam can thus be changed from pulse to pulse, which will allow for rapidly scanning a large part of the sky above the site, e.g., in a 5 x 5 beams grid, or indeed according to the specification provided by the researcher using the facility.
The transmitter-receiver will provide standard scalar parameters along the line of sight, i.e. along every beam, at a range interval and range resolution needed for the requested observation. These parameters are electron density, as well as electron and ion temperatures.

The remote receivers will look into the transmit beam from afar and employ interferometry to compute three-dimensional vector velocities for the electron gas at a number of altitudes simultaneously, creating a three-dimensional grid of voxels.

The data received at all three sites will be digitised on-site and then transmitted via a dedicated network link to the data centre for further processing and analysis.

During an on-going radar observation, it is essential for the researcher to monitor the results in real-time in order to be able to react to changing space weather or other conditions.
We are looking for flexible and configurable ways to visualise these data as needed in very-near real time, i.e. with a maximum delay of a minute or so.

Furthermore, we want to investigate the use of an artificial intelligence process to flag up observed events or to recognise three-dimensional shapes, such as pockets of high or low electron density, or layered phenomena.

How can we reduce the production costs of high-performance reflector antennas suitable for the sub-millimeter wavelength range as needed for future radio observatories?

A principal parameter determining ultimate sensitivity in radio telescopes is the so-called antenna collecting area: the larger the collecting area the more photons can be captured.

For sub-millimeter telescopes like the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), operating in the wavelength range of 0.3 to 10 mm, parabolic reflector antennas have proven to be the best solution so far. To avoid degradation of the effective antenna collecting area the RMS surface accuracy, deviation from a perfect parabolic shape, of the antenna needs to be less than 10 %, preferably 5 %, of the operating wavelength.

This collecting area doesn’t have to be provided by a single antenna but can be distributed among multiple, smaller, antennas. ALMA currently is composed of 66 antennas, 54 antennas having a diameter of 12 m and 12 antennas with 7 m diameter primary reflector. To enable future astronomy in the sub-mm wavelength range, requiring at least a 3-fold, but preferably 10-fold, increase of total antenna collecting area to what ALMA currently offers (~6500 m2), cost-effective antenna design, and manufacturing technology is what we are looking for. The challenge is to come up with novel concepts that result in substantially lower production and operational costs.

The goal is to reach normalized production costs substantially less than 25 % of the current ALMA antenna which are approximately 120 k€ per effective square meter of collecting area (@ 3 mm wavelength).

Some ideas that are on our mind and we are very interested in exploring with you are:
• Is an off-set, parabolic reflector, configuration, avoiding the shadowing effect by the subreflector in a symmetric configuration, contributing to our goal?
• Can novel production techniques like additive manufacturing, 3-D metal printing, instead of conventional CNC milling of the precision antenna reflector panels, be cost effective and a more sustainable solution (less waste)?

Considering the costs of the drive systems of an individual antenna what would be the cost per unit sweet spot for the primary reflector diameter, in the range of 10 to 30 m, for a total collecting area of 20.000 m2?

How fast can we go in digitizing analogue signals for future radio observatories?

Contemporary radio telescopes increasingly rely on advanced digital signal processing. A continuing tendency to replace traditional analogue functions in the signal chain like frequency-conversion and filtering in, astronomical, receiver systems to the digital domain can be observed. In general, it can be stated that over the past decades the analogue to digital conversion function in the signal chain of radio telescope has been moving closer and closer to the antenna. This development in receiver architecture is very much driven by the technological advances in analogue-to-digital converters (ADC) and this trend is also illustrated by the system architecture of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).

The initial ALMA architecture used two heterodyne stages resulting in an Intermediate Frequency (IF) range of 2 – 4 GHz. This analogue IF signal is then digitized by a 3-bit ADC operating at a sampling frequency of 4 GHz. The ongoing Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (WSU) of ALMA has removed the second, analogue, heterodyne stage and uses an IF range of 2 – 20 GHz. This wideband IF is digitized by a 6-bit ADC running at a sample frequency of 40 GHz. The WSU architecture will offer a 16 GHz instantaneous bandwidth to the astronomical user.

The astronomical user community of ALMA has a large interest in further increasing the observed bandwidth beyond the 16 GHz offered by the WSU. Ideally the RF signal available from the antenna, after ample amplification, would be directly digitized. An instantaneous bandwidth of 100 GHz or more with at least 6-bit quantization is an objective. The highest RF signal frequency for ALMA is 950 GHz.

Questions and ideas that are on our mind and we are very interested in exploring with you are:
• How far can ADCs based on electronics be pushed to reach our objective?
• Can ADCs based on photonic technology, for example photonic samplers, be an alternative solution to reach our objective?
• In case that photonic ADCs are a possible option would it be feasible to move other signal processing functions from the electronic domain to the optical domain? One example could be to have the time delay function, need to phase up signals from different antennas, implemented as an optical delay.

How can we construct large-scale carbon fibre vacuum chambers for neutron experiments?

For the upcoming HIBEAM/NNBAR experiment at ESS, the collaboration has proposed a two-stage program of experiments to perform high-precision searches for neutron conversions in a range of baryon number violation. The ultimate goal is to design, build, and install the NNBAR detector, housed at the end of a 200 m long high-vacuum chamber consisting of a 2 meters in diameter and 6 meters in length experimental chamber. At the centre of the pipe, a target carbon foil is used to interact with the neutrons, and the result of this interaction shall be collected by the detector. Traditionally, materials like beryllium are used for the vacuum chamber due to their low atomic mass, high transparency to particles, high stiffness, ultra-high vacuum compatibility, and low neutron activation, but due to toxicity (dust and particles are highly toxic if inhaled), cost (material very expensive), and difficulty in machining compared to stainless steel or aluminium (following all safety rules for fabrication), we want to explore alternatives, such as the use of carbon or carbon fibre composites.
The challenge is to manufacture such a large structure in carbon or carbon fibre material that is compatible with ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions or possible to prepare for vacuum use. Key questions include:
– How can we ensure structural integrity and vacuum tightness at this scale?
– What are the limitations or possibilities for minimizing wall thickness while maintaining performance?
– Are there scalable manufacturing or joining techniques specific to carbon fibre for UHV applications?
– How can we apply or develop vacuum-compatible coatings or surface treatments without relying on traditional baking methods?
We are looking for ideas from materials science, vacuum engineering, and large-scale composite manufacturing.

How can AI support the transition of a management systems from project phase to operations at a newly built complex facility?

Transitioning Integrated Management Systems (IMS) from the project phase to long-term operations is an essential step for any newly built complex facility. How can AI technologies play a transformative role in this process by improving efficiency, accuracy, and compliance? At a large research facility under development, quality routines and systems have been developed during the project phase but now need to be transformed and adapted for long-term operational use. This shift involves challenges in documentation, role assignments, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and external stakeholders’ expectations.

We’re interested in exploring how AI technologies, such as chatbots and document analysis tools, can be utilized in the change management process of management system. How can we integrate these technologies to be a reliable partner in the routine work with IMS in a near future?

Could AI be deployed to:
Perform qualitative document reviews,
Assess the consequences of document changes in a large document structure,
Interpret and visualize requirements (e.g., apply a graded approach, read drawings and requests for quotations),
Identify roles and definitions of roles in documents, support role-based task management and
Identify compliance gaps by comparing internal processes to regulatory frameworks.

How can we be more efficient and make sure that we “get it right the first time” with the help of AI?

How can low-temperature waste heat be utilized in the biogas generation process or in other processes that require thermal treatment in a city?

The anaerobic digestion process that goes into generating biogass can be enhanced by pre-treating the feedstock by heating up the mixture of organic material. Low temperature thermal pre-treatment is normally used to break down difficult-to-digest feedstock and some complex organic materials like food waste or sludge. This preliminary step improves the efficiency of the anaerobic digestion that comes at later stages.

ESS generates a considerable amount of waste heat (WH). A good portion of the recovered heat is sent to the local and external district heating systems. However, due to the intermittency issues (especially in the summer when the heating demand is low), there will excess recovered heat available. The excess waste heat should exit the facility to secure operability of the systems. Therefore, plans should be made to use this low temperature WH (temperature < 80°C).

We are interested in exploring how low temperature waste heat could be utilized without the need to increase its temperature. Specifically:

– Is it feasible to use this type of waste heat to support biogas generation? If so, how can it be integrated effectively?

– Are there other urban or industrial processes in the city of Lund that could benefit from low-grade thermal energy?

We are looking for practical, energy-efficient applications that align with circular economy principles and contribute to more sustainable practices

How can we develop a sustainable process for removing and reapplying X-ray coatings on ultra-precise optical substrates?

European XFEL uses high-value mirrors and gratings made from monocrystalline silicon, typically around 1 meter long, with extreme surface requirements: peak-to-valley shape homogeneity better than a few nanometers and surface roughness below 0.2 nm RMS. These optics are coated with nanometric layers (50–100 nm) of X-ray reflective materials such as B₄C, Platinum, Gold, or Chromium. To improve sustainability and reduce waste, we aim to re-use these components by removing and reapplying coatings—without compromising the underlying substrate’s ultra-high surface quality. We are looking for expertise in precision surface processing, thin-film removal, and re-coating techniques that can meet these demanding tolerances.

How can we develop a reliable and scalable Time of Flight system for large apertures and high intensities in high-energy physics applications

The FAIR facility needs a Time of Flight system for large apertures (40cm diameter) at beams with intensities too high for scintillators.

We estimate that other accelerator facilities are facing similar problems, creating a significant market potential for a reliable and scalable solution.

We would like to discuss possible technical solutions and assess market need with experts from the commercial Swedish high-energy physics community, as well as scout for partners in developing and validating a prototype solution.

Our suggestion for a discussion starting point: exploring the feasibility of scaling up a Cherenkov system based on a liquid radiator material, such as that tested by N. Kuzminchuk-Feuerstein et al. (Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics A 923, 2019, 34-37). Specifically, we propose discussing potential manufacturing methods and materials that could enable commercial production, as well as the integration of a system for constant liquid exchange.

Success in this challenge could lead to the development of a commercial detector with a significant market potential in the high-energy physics sector and beyond. By working together, we can leverage the expertise and resources of both parties to accelerate the development of a commercial Time of Flight system and unlock new opportunities in the high-energy physics market.

How to ensure PFAS-compliant and future-proof cooling equipment at FAIR and GSI?

For the FAIR project GSI is preparing to procure new cooling equipment for upcoming installations, while several systems are already planned or integrated. The choice of refrigerants is critical, as different refrigerants can require significant changes to system design, making later replacements difficult or costly.

With increasing regulatory pressure on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), present in many conventional refrigerants, there is a need to assess the risks associated with existing and planned installations, evaluate the current readiness for PFAS-free alternatives, and identify the most viable refrigerant options for the future.

Considering the design differences, safety aspects, and performance characteristics of various refrigerants, what is the risk assessment for FAIR and GSI regarding potential PFAS restrictions, what is the current capability to switch to alternative solutions, and what measures should be taken now to ensure uninterrupted plant operation once regulations take effect?

What new materials and alloys could have the potential to withstand high temperatures (≥500°C), high neutron fluxes, and thermal creep in advanced fusion and fission reactors?

How can these materials be made compatible with various coolants such as liquid metals, molten salts, or helium, and what manufacturing processes are needed to produce complex component geometries with these materials?

Functional components in both fusion and next-generation fission reactors face extreme conditions, including high operating temperatures around 500°C, intense neutron irradiation, and severe thermal stresses. These conditions challenge conventional materials and motivate the development of advanced high-temperature alloys with resistance to thermal creep and neutron-induced damage. At the same time, compatibility with a range of coolant media — from helium to liquid metals or molten salts — is critical to ensure efficient and reliable heat transfer. Additionally, the often complex geometries of reactor components demand manufacturing processes capable of delivering these high-performance materials with sufficient precision and integrity.

8078: What materials and manufacturing solutions can be developed to produce efficient neutron shielding for fusion reactors, capable of protecting sensitive components and ensuring personnel safety?

8072: What new materials, joints, and manufacturing processes can be developed to improve plasma-facing components for future fusion reactors and power plants?

8078: How can we design customized neutron-absorbing structures in complex shapes, and manufacture them in the large quantities needed for future fusion energy systems?

Fusion reactors generate large fluxes of fast neutrons that cause damage to surrounding components, such as superconducting magnets and electrical systems, and create challenges for personnel safety and maintenance access. Effective neutron shielding is therefore critical to protect vital reactor systems and enable safe operation. This will require advanced, highly absorbing materials, potentially in complex shapes, and produced in significant volumes. There is a need to identify, design, and manufacture such shielding solutions to meet the demanding performance and integration requirements of future fusion power plants.

8072: Specifically, how can we design materials that withstand thermal shocks, high-energy neutron bombardment, and corrosion from various cooling media while enabling efficient active cooling? Could additive manufacturing technologies provide pathways to create complex, high-performance structures for these components?

Fusion reactors require plasma-facing components capable of surviving extreme environments, with heat radiating from the plasma (temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees) and exposure to high-energy neutrons that damage surrounding materials. Conventional solutions, such as Tungsten armour bonded to Copper-alloy heat sinks, as adopted for ITER, are being scaled to massive quantities (over a million Tungsten tiles) but may face performance limits. Future designs will need materials with superior thermal shock resistance, high neutron damage tolerance, and corrosion resistance tailored for different cooling systems. At the same time, additive manufacturing is emerging as a promising technique for fabricating complex, actively cooled components with enhanced functionality and commercial viability.

How can we prevent corrosion in Invar alloy connectors exposed to hard X-ray radiation in internally cooled silicon mirrors?

Internally cooled mirrors at soft X-ray beamlines (e.g. at MAX IV) are exposed to high power densities (~1 W/mm²) and require extremely high surface quality (<0.3 nm roughness, <1 nm figure error). These mirrors are typically made of super-polished single-crystal silicon, with cooling channels integrated ~1 mm beneath the optical surface and water used as the cooling medium. The silicon mirror is connected to the water cooling lines via Invar joints.

Despite successful operation of many systems, MAX IV has experienced catastrophic corrosion in a subset of these Invar 36 joints, with unclear root causes. This poses a significant reliability concern for beamline operation.

We are looking for expertise and solutions in two areas:

– Methods to mitigate or eliminate corrosion in existing mirror systems using Invar-water interfaces under X-ray irradiation.

– Alternative mirror and cooling designs that maintain required optical performance while ensuring long-term corrosion resistance.

What types of software tools or architectures can support structured, low-risk maintenance of Operational Technology (OT) networks in high-availability environments such as MAX IV?

The Operational Technology network at MAX IV supports a complex ecosystem of devices and systems that are critical to accelerator operations and scientific experiments. These networks must remain stable, secure, and continuously operational, which makes routine maintenance activities — including updates, reconfigurations, or system diagnostics — particularly challenging.

We are especially interested in software-based approaches to monitor, manage, and evolve this infrastructure over time without compromising uptime or safety. This could include tools for automated diagnostics, version control, network visibility, or structured configuration management.

We invite researchers and industry to share insights on existing or emerging software platforms, frameworks, or methodologies that could enable smarter maintenance and lifecycle management for large-scale OT systems.