The East is coming closer

In January of this year, I visited a business trip to Jordan, in the Scientific Center of Sezam (sesame, www.sesame.org.jo ), where for four years the first synchrotron should earn in the Middle East. In 1997, Germany disabled the old synchrotron of Bessy I. They wanted to give it to scrap metal, but the American physicist Herman Vinik proposed to give it as a gift to the Middle East to launch a long -discussed project of international research. So was born to Sesam. In November 2008, the building was completed for him and the so -called “soft inauguration” took place.

The project is interesting not only to its scientific part (although in scientific terms this is a completely serious undertaking), but also a political one. The participating countries are Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Iran, Cyprus, Pakistan, Palestinian administration and Türkiye. Scientists of these countries are interested in having nearby, albeit not in their country, a powerful modern source of X -ray (and not only) radiation. Under their pressure, the power of states, which, to put it mildly, in the conflict, agree to officially cooperate and spend money on a common cause. Let this be a drop in the sea, but still some step to constructive activity in the problem region. Of course, Arabs and Jews (as well as Cypriots and Turks, as well as the US administration, one of the observers, and Iran’s authorities) do not begin to love each other in an instant.
I was there immediately after the Operation "cast lead" and saw that some are even difficult to answer direct questions about politics. But the main thing is that everyone is ready to forget about politics and continue to do science. The project survived the intifada, survived the "cast lead", the leadership is not afraid of the financial crisis. I set out all this in the article in Newsweek (“Physical Coercion to Peace” No. 8 for 2009, www.runewsweek.ru/science/27116/ , interviews with project managers are also published). The article, however, turned out to be dry, while the trip, in my opinion, was quite curious. I would like to share impressions and various small observations.

Alexander Berdichevsky, editor of the "Science" department of the magazine "Russian Newsweek"

January 27.

Evening. At the Jordanian border, they first put a visa (and in the section of the passports "Children"), and only then they begin to find out why I arrived. The honest answer is that I am a scientific journalist and came to the case, for some reason does not cause delight. Ask to wait; Finally, having carefully studied the press card, they miss.

January 28.

Morning. At seven o’clock, a small bus with a Cesam logo takes me from one of the squares of Amman. For some time we drive around the city, collect employees. I hit extremely successfully: there is all the direct guide. Cesam has a bunch of directors: the administrative director, the Egyptian Yaser Khalil, constantly works at the facility itself, but the technical director, the Algerian Frenchman Amor Naji, and the scientific director, Pakistani Hafiz Hurani, spend only half the working time on Cesam, but now they are both in place. There is just a director (the most important) Khaled Tukan, a large Jordanian official, he is mainly busy with other matters. Finally, there is a president, or chairman of the council, Sir Christopher Llevellin-Smith, a former general director of Cern, but he sits in England at all, he will be able to talk with him only on the phone.

In addition to three ordinary directors on the bus, a dozen and a half people - almost the entire permanent state. There are 35 km to Cesam, but in Jordan less than 100 km/h, apparently, do not drive, so we get quickly. The authorities read on the way (who are working papers, some newspapers), and the rest are discussing problems with vacuum in a microthron. They say immediately both in Arabic and in English: among the employees not only Arabs, but also Iranians, Pakistanis, and a consultant-cheat that has arrived for a week.

Cesam is a large two -story building. Both Jordan completely allocated the land and money for construction, it was one of the factors that allowed her to win a competition for the placement of Cesam from six other applicants. The main thing in the building is an old room in the center, occupying both floors. On the second floor, he is surrounded by a corridor-gallery, they lead the door to the cabinets from the corridor. Cabinets, by Moscow standards, are very spacious. When I talk about this to Halil, he is surprised: “But two people have in them!” At the entrance is a personal registrar: everyone is marked with a finger application. The secretary Sonya regulates my communication with employees: first the technical director, then scientific, then administrative, then the rest.

The technical director of Naji leads the most important work now - the construction of the machine. In the main hall, there is so far a microphone with a dashboard, part of the refrigeration unit and still not assembled booster in polyethylene. At the edges are boxes with equipment. When the accelerator is ready, the main part will be added to them - the cumulative ring, as well as the protective walls, says Naji.

Then the scientific work itself will begin, for which Hafiz Khurani is responsible. Synchrotron is good in that it allows you to conduct research, as well as applied work in various fields. That is why the ideologists of the project hope that it will be interesting to everyone. “You need to change the local mentality,” says Hurani.

People do not understand why they should invest in the laboratory, which is not in their institute, not even in their country. Hurani himself works in several countries at once: at Cesam, in Cern, in his Pakistan. When asked whether it is not bored with constantly traveling, he replies that this is a “production danger”.

The administrative routine on Cesam is engaged in Yaser Halil. She was pretty tortured, so to the polite question whether he likes the work, the director replies: “Yes, I can’t stand it. I would better conduct research, teach ... ".

- Why then did the career change?

- Well, the old one became. I thought it was time to do administration, and when I realized that I did not like it, it was too late.

Apparently, due to ungrateful work, Khalil is a little more skeptical than the rest. “If we finish the installation,” he summarizes at the end of the conversation, “this will be a really important scientific and cultural achievement.” - "If?" - I am asking for. “I meant“ when ”,” the director instantly clarifies.

Young employees, on the contrary, are enthusiastic. Ahyed Aladvan, who is responsible for the computer and control systems of Cesama, with fervor tells what valuable cultural experience he acquired while working in Europe, how glad to work at home, in Jordan. However, according to him, entering the Cesam building, he seemed to leave Jordan and feels that he is in the international center. Ahedus generally speaks with ready-made magazine subtitles, and it is clear that these are not stamps, but, indeed, his thoughts: “If we manage to achieve something in science, this will be our way to say“ thank you ”to the world community.”

Almost all the Ceamovites studied or worked in Europe or the United States, the elders long ago, the young ones were already in this century, according to a special program, which ultimately helped ensure the project of personnel.

Seeing me to the next employee (I move from one to another, trying to talk with representatives of all countries), Ahedus asks:

- And who are you by education?

- Mathematical linguist.

“Wow,” Auda surprises, “I have never seen a mathematical linguist.”

(This reminds me of a morning conversation with another employee: “For the first time I see an unbeliever! What, and you don’t believe in God?!”, The interlocutor was amazed when we accidentally talked about religion.)

“Yes, it happens,” I explain, “Murray Gell-Mann now has a linguist.” Well, a famous physicist, you know?

“No,” Aheed is embarrassed, “I'm not a scientist, but a technician.”

However, I am sure that he just heard me badly.

Another victim becomes physicist Maher Attal, Palestinian. He meets me wary, in addition, I unsuccessfully start with the question: “What problems are you facing?”

“No problem,” he says coldly, “I really like it here.” Or are you talking about scientific and technical problems?

I nod. Maher blooms and begins the longest story, most of which is the very next day. So far, our conversation is interrupted and called to eat and drink: one of the employees is quit, he is solemnly escorted. I have to leave right from the meal, but before that I manage to agree with Halil and Sonya that tomorrow morning I will come again.

Noon. Hafiz Khurani goes to the atomic energy commission - to give a lecture on Cern and the Great Adron Collider - and takes me with me so that I can talk with simply the director of Khaled Tukan. The cupboard is a great man. He founded Al-Balka's applied university in order to develop a technical education in the country, and headed it. Then he became the Minister of Education, carried out a capital reform of education and science, in which about half a billion dollars were invested. As a minister, he actively supported the idea of ​​Cesam and was elected its director. Now the Tuk is heading a commission on atomic energy. There is no atomic energy in the country, but it should appear: Iraq used to supply a hydrocarbon to Jordan almost for free, after the American occupation it stopped. Atomic reactors should make up for the lack of energy, as well as, possibly, the use of combustible shales.

In anticipation of Tukan, Khurani and I are sitting in his office and talking with two power engineers. “In your Pakistan in the family, on average, how many children?” Asks Khurani, an unmarticular Jordan, a very intelligent look. The Pakyanist replies that in uneducated - more, in the educated - smaller. “Yes, with us too,” the questioner nods. - In uneducated and ten it happens. For example, I am the thirteenth. And I have nine children. " “It also happens that they give birth until the boy appears,” the second Jordan intervenes. “Girls are not considered.” “Exactly,” says the first, “I had four girls at first, then five boys.” Then his Excellency comes, and the interview begins. The cupcan answers quickly, clearly, does not deviate from uncomfortable questions. Conveys hello to the Russian reader, thanks Novosibirsk experts for help in the dismantling of Bessy I and participation in working meetings, expresses hope for cooperation in the field of nuclear energy.

After that, all power engineers are going to the Jurani report. The physicist talks about Cern, his scientific activity and the organizational structure. At the end of the report, he asks to ask questions. The first question is asked by the Tukan itself: how justifies the rumors about the danger of a tank, black holes and other horrors are justified. Khurani explains that the Tsern black holes will not be able to offend anyone.

January 29.

Morning. Arriving, I ask you to show the apparatus itself. I am “awarded” to Mahera, who shows a microphone (so far only is it in a state of readiness) from all sides and continues yesterday's complaints.

The main problem that everyone else talked about is the lack of money on the main element of the accelerator is the storage ring. Unlike a microtron and booster, it will be new, it will be made on Cesam. In the warehouse lies the old, donated by Germany, but it will allow electrons to reach only 0.8 GEV, which, by modern standards, is not enough.

A weak synchrotron deprives the project of meaning: no one will come. Therefore, they will build a new ring, at 2.5 GEV. About 16 million dollars are not enough for it, and their search is the main task of the leadership.

But here is the injector system, which previously accelerates the electrons and injects them into the drive - a microtron and booster, you can use the old one. It is with this that the troubles of Maher are associated. Microtron was made more than 30 years ago in Sweden. Then in Germany he was modified for their needs, while not all changes were properly documented. Travel and storage in the warehouse also did not benefit the equipment. As a result, it is necessary to bring old equipment with incomplete documentation, incompatibility with more new equipment (for example, it is not possible to configure remote control) and the inability to purchase spare parts, because they simply do not make them anymore. Some details can be found in the warehouse of the manufacturer (strictly speaking, this is another company, with a different name).

Camamians constantly communicate with German specialists who recall their experience with Bessy and give advice. The following is most amazed at the following: the scan of the old photo of the microphotron dashboard is sent to Maher, he prints it, goes to the hall with him and tries, looking at the printout, to understand what is wrong with the location of the regulators.

“But I understand everything,” says the physicist, “there is no money, while you have to work like that. If we prove that we can work, then maybe they will help you buy a new equipment. ”

Before leaving Sesam, I come across Ahedom. He calls in the evening to take a walk with him and the Swiss guest in the city (it takes place on Thursday, and Friday in Jordan is a day off). I am happy to agree and leave.

I get a taxi driver who does not speak English at all. I show the business card of my hotel ("Dove"). The taxi driver brings me to the Downloads hotel, and to convince him with gestures that the coincidence of the beginning of the name does not mean the identity of the hotels is almost impossible, especially since he is supported by passers -by. As a result, I get into the hotel soon.

Evening. Ahedus sends SMS: Sorry, friend, we have serious problems with one of the servers, we will have to linger, maybe even spend the night. I decide that I bring misfortune to accelerators (I was also immediately before its breakdown), and I go to communicate with local journalists, scientific (more precisely, medical), and not only. It turns out that they did not hear anything about Cesam, they listen to me with surprise. Later I will ask the Llevellin Smith, whether the project of advertising is not enough. He admits that it is not enough, but he will say that this is the eternal problem of all scientific projects. With the exception of the tank.

When, under the influence of a magnetic field, electrons move along a curved trajectory, they lose energy. This energy goes into radiation used for experiments.

1. Microtron is the first of the three main parts of the synchrotron. In it, electrons accelerate to 0.022 GEV.

2. Boster is the second part. There, electrons increase energy to 0.8 GEV.

3. In the main part - the accumulative ring - the electrons accelerate to 2.5 GEV. Unlike a microtron and booster, Cesam’s drive will be completely new: the old one allowed to gain energy only up to 0.8 GEV.

4. On special channels, radiation is displayed at once in several laboratories, where research in various fields can be conducted at the same time.

5. Synchrotron radiation is used to study complex molecules, such as proteins.

6. X -ray radiation is used in material science.

7. Synchrotron is used even in studies related to ecology, which is now becoming very relevant in the Middle East.