Department of Energy approves construction of NSLS-II

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has granted "Critical Decision 3" (CD-3) status to the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) at Brookhaven National Laboratory, approving the start of construction in fiscal year (FY) 2009 and scheduling completion in FY 2015. A total project cost for NSLS-II of $912 million has been approved. NSLS-II is expected to be the world's first storage-ring-based synchrotron light source that combines nanometer spatial resolution with high brightness, coherence, and beam stability, enabling nanometer-scale characterization of materials, with powerful applications in nanotechnology and biotechnology. For more information about the NSLS-II project, visit the website at http://www.bnl.gov/nsls2/