Russia’s Newest SKIF Synchrotron Equipped With Domestic Radiation Monitoring System
Zelenograd-based NPP Doza has completed the development of an automated radiation monitoring system for the Siberian Circular Photon Source (SKIF) Shared Research Facility. The system provides continuous radiation monitoring across the entire site of the new megascience research complex.
Engineers equipped the injector, storage ring and experimental station buildings with monitoring systems. The storage ring itself has a circumference of 476 meters, while SKIF’s infrastructure comprises 34 buildings and structures in total.
For continuous monitoring, the team deployed a network of more than 300 monitoring points. On the hardware side, the system includes DBN-A03D pulsed-neutron dosimeters and specialized UDMN-100 and UDKS-100D detection units. These sensors measure radiation levels in real time and transmit the data to servers, making it possible to monitor conditions in every room and across adjacent areas.
The full scope of work has already been completed, from equipment delivery through installation supervision and commissioning. NPP Doza engineers configured all system components and conducted the required tests at individual experimental stations. The system has passed specialized inspections and is fully ready for operational use.
Russian Software
Russian software plays a central role in the complex. NPP Doza deployed its proprietary Pelikan (Pelican) system. The software was adapted specifically to run on the Russian Astra Linux operating system and complies with stringent information security requirements.
SKIF’s server infrastructure collects telemetry from all 300 sensors. Pelikan processes these data streams, stores them in secure archives and visualizes them on operators’ screens. As a result, each operator sees a digital map of the research center with color-coded radiation levels.
The software also monitors the technical condition of the sensors themselves. If a detector fails or loses its connection to the server, the system immediately generates an alarm.
The Particular Challenges of Synchrotron Radiation
SKIF is a Generation 4+ synchrotron radiation source. The facility accelerates electrons to an energy of 3 GeV. When the electron beam is deflected by the magnetic field of the storage ring, it generates powerful X-rays. Scientists use this radiation as a kind of giant microscope to study the structure of matter at the atomic level.
Particle accelerators generate specific types of radiation, including bremsstrahlung X-rays and neutron radiation. Standard dosimeters cannot measure these correctly. The developers therefore used specialized pulsed-neutron detectors designed to operate reliably in complex radiation fields.
The radiation monitoring system protects personnel and researchers working at the experimental stations. It is integrated with access control systems and automatically prevents entry into hazardous areas when the accelerator is operating. This is a mandatory requirement for the safe operation of scientific facilities of this type.
Integration Into Research Infrastructure
Work on the radiation monitoring system proceeded in stages beginning in 2024, in parallel with construction and installation of the accelerator equipment itself. Titan-2 Holding served as the general contractor for SKIF’s construction, while NPP Doza developed and installed the safety systems.
SKIF was officially inaugurated on August 11, 2026, in the science town of Koltsovo in Russia’s Novosibirsk region. Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the commissioning ceremony for the megascience facility. The synchrotron could only be commissioned after the full readiness of all systems, including radiation monitoring, had been confirmed.
The project demonstrated NPP Doza’s capabilities in developing sophisticated automated systems for advanced scientific facilities.
