The AU-UV beam line was originally commissioned on ASTRID in 2000 (and was then known as UV1) and in September 2013 was the first beam line to become operational on the new 3rd generation light source ASTRID2. The UV beam line was designed to cover the low photon energy region from about 700 to 100 nm using two gratings. The monochromator was designed to provide a high flux with a moderate resolution (R > 1000) and to preserve the high degree of linear polarisation of the source synchrotron radiation.

The UV beam line can be used for a variety of experiments requiring photons in the UV/Vis region including photoabsorption (gas and solid phase) and irradiation, and was the original host of the ISA SRCD facility until 2009 when the dedicated CD beam line came into operation. The beam line is now primarily used for photoabsorption experiments and can accommodate a variety of endstation experimental setups.

Photoabsorption spectroscopy.

UV photoabsorption spectroscopy is being carried out on both gas samples and solids. So far the absolute UV photoabsorption cross-sections of more than 200 molecules have been measured on this UV beam line. Many of these molecules are of atmospheric, plasma etching or biological interest. Photoabsorption spectroscopy of solids is being carried out on both ices formed by deposition of gases on a cold UV-transparent substrate, and on solid thin films.