Cerdanyola del Vallès, 18th March 2021 The covid-19 pandemic has made it necessary to rethink many of activities that were carried out before the appearance of the coronavirus. Among others, the visits that ALBA have conducted at the facility since its opening in 2010 and which have benefited more than 5,000 people each year.
Visiting physically ALBA is currently suspended, but the opportunity of discovering the synchrotron remains more accessible than ever, as a new program of virtual guided tours is being launched. Through a videoconference, participants will get to know ALBA guided by its staff members from the synchrotron, who will show the facility through the screen.
With the organization of these virtual visits, ALBA expects to receive virtually up to 5,000 people during 2021. This new way also allows the participation of groups geographically distant from the synchrotron or unable to travel, thanks to the opportunities offered by the online activities, so present in our lives nowadays.
Virtual visits are free and last approximately one hour and 15 minutes through a Zoom videoconference with 25-30 participants maximum per session. They are addressed to high school groups, university students and researchers, as well as professional and cultural associations and companies. In the case of visits for high schools, there is also the option of carrying out the activity in the classroom, with a person from ALBA moving there to explain the synchrotron to the students.
Virtual visits start in April and sessions for April, May and June can already be booked. The request form, available on the ALBA website, always shows the available slots for the next three months and, on the first working Monday of each month, it is updated with new visit dates.
In the future, ALBA hopes to combine both ways of doing visits: virtual and physical tours, thus offering a wide range of possibilities for the public to learn about this unique and singular scientific infrastructure.
