Synchrotron diplomacy in the Middle East

BBC : Funded by nations throughout the Middle East, the SESAME synchrotron light source, which is under construction in Jordan, is planned to be operational by 2015. A synchrotron accelerates electrons through a circular tunnel, causing them to emit beams of radiation used to study the structures of target objects. Including such countries as Cyprus, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, and Turkey, the project is part of an effort to open scientific communication across otherwise hostile borders. Although SESAME still needs about $10 million to complete the construction, the decade-long project is already considered a success by many of the scientists involved because of the work they have done with their counterparts from other countries. When the project is completed, it will be the first synchrotron in the Middle East. Researchers from the nations that contributed to the project will share resources in much the same way as the researchers who access the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.