How long do electrons remain in the storage ring? What happens to them?
Electrons remain in the storage ring for around 20 hours – this is known as the lifetime of the beam. As the electrons circulate the storage ring they collide with the few particles that remain in the vacuum and are lost. New electrons are added to the ring about twice a day. In the long term, Diamond will operate in “top-up” mode, where the electron beam is regularly topped up throughout operation. This will mean the beam is more stable and capable of producing light with higher average brightness.
