COMMISSIONING THE LSU SYNCHROTRON LIGHT-SOURCE

The first commercially supplied synchrotron light source to be built in the USA has been installed and commissioned at LSU. The machine was built by MLI/Brobeck on a fixed price basis with a guaranteed performance of 400 mA at 1.2 GeV. The contract called for 200 mA circulating current at 1.2 GeV before the machine was turned over to LSU. Despite some unanticipated delays, this first commissioning phase was completed on schedule, some 15 months after the building was available to start installation. Vacuum conditioning has continued under LSU direction with present best operation above 300 mA at 1.3 GeV. A description of the commissioning process is given, including the conditioning of the vacuum chamber using synchrotron radiation from circulating beam.