Tom Regier

Research Associate, Canadian Lightsource

Tom is one of a group of scientists involved in the commissioning of the first beamlines at the Canadian Lightsource, Canada’s First Synchrotron. He was recently a guest on CBC’s Quirks and Quarks discussing the workings and research potential of the Synchrotron. He obtained a Bachelors Degree in Engineering Physics and a Masters Degree in Nuclear Physics at the University of Saskatchewan. Specializing in computer simulation and modeling, Tom was heavily involved in the development of the beamline control and data acquisition systems.

The Canadian Light Source: The New Light in Canada’s Science and Technology Infrastructure

The Canadian Light Source (CLS) Synchrotron is a facility on the University of Saskatchewan campus capable of generating brilliant light over a wide range of energies for use in a seemingly endless number of different scientific and industrial research areas. The addition of the CLS to the science and technology infrastructure in Canada means that Canadian scientists will now have easy access to one of the most advanced x-ray research facilities in the world that was designed with their particular needs in mind. Canadian industry will also benefit as a new avenue for industrial research and development is opened. This presentation will touch on the basic principles involved in generating and using synchrotron radiation and explore some particular experiments that have been or will be carried out at the CLS. To conclude the presentation, a discussion of how the CLS may affect the future of science and technology, and particularly young people in this field, will be put forth.