Construction begins on advanced photon science facility

SHANGHAI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Construction started Friday in Shanghai on a facility designed to capture the real-time movement of particles.

The hard X-ray free electron laser facility, created with a total investment of nearly 9.5 billion yuan (1.5 billion U.S. dollars), is located in a national scientific center in Zhangjiang in Shanghai.

"It is like a high-speed, super clear camera. It can 'film' molecules, atoms, and electrons," said Zhu Zhiyuan, general manager of the project with Shanghai Tech University. "It can capture their real-time movements and play them back slowly, enabling scientists to figure out details of complex chemical reactions."

It is 3,110-meters long, including 2,795 meters of underground tunnel.

Traditional facilities of photon science can only take still photographs of particles.

"The facility is expected to offer unprecedented scientific opportunities, including solving the mystery of life and designing new medicines," said Zhao Zhentang, chief scientist of the project. Enditem