"A particle accelerator is a machine that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to very high speeds and energies, and to contain them in well-defined beams."
Large machines used to accelerate particles to high energies for the purpose of research.
Basic principles of particle physics: This includes understanding the fundamental particles and forces that make up the universe.
Accelerator types: Knowledge of various types of accelerators and how they differ in functionality and applications.
Magnetic fields: Understanding of how magnetic fields are used in accelerators to control and direct particle beams.
Radiofrequency technology: Understanding how RF technology creates the electromagnetic fields required to accelerate and manipulate particles.
Detector technology: Knowledge of various types of detectors used in accelerator experiments like calorimeters, trackers, and time-of-flight systems, to measure particle properties.
Particle accelerator design: Understanding of the principles involved in designing an accelerator, including the space and equipment required and the technical considerations for each accelerator component.
High-energy collisions: Knowledge of how collisions are generated in accelerators, and how they provide insight into the nature of the universe.
Beam dynamics: Understanding of how particle beams are formed, transported, and controlled through an accelerator, including beam emittance and optics.
Applications of accelerators: Knowledge of the diverse range of applications of accelerator technology, such as medical therapies, materials science, and nuclear energy research.
Safety procedures: Understanding of the safety procedures involved in operating and maintaining an accelerator, including radiation protection, electrical safety, and emergency procedures.
Linear Accelerators (LINACs): These accelerate charged particles in a straight line using an alternating electric field. They are commonly used in medical applications such as radiation therapy.
Cyclotrons: These accelerate charged particles in a circular path using a magnetic field. They are commonly used to produce medical isotopes and in basic research.
Synchrotrons: These are similar to cyclotrons but are capable of accelerating particles to higher energies. They are commonly used in high-energy particle physics research.
Betatrons: These are similar to linear accelerators but use a magnetic field to focus the beam instead of accelerating it in a circular path. They are commonly used in electron beam welding and in radiation therapy.
Microtron: These are accelerators that operate at lower energies than LINACs and Betatrons. They are commonly used in electron microscopy.
Free Electron Lasers (FELs): These are accelerators that use a linear accelerator to produce a beam of electrons that then emits radiation as it travels through a magnetic undulator. They are commonly used as sources of high-intensity light for materials science.
Fixed-target accelerators: These accelerate particles towards a fixed target, where the energy is deposited and the resulting particles are studied. They are commonly used in nuclear and particle physics research.
Collider accelerators: These accelerate charged particles in opposite directions and then collide them at a specific point. They are commonly used in high-energy particle physics research.
Neutrino accelerators: These produce beams of neutrinos for use in neutrino physics and cosmic ray research.
Heavy-ion accelerators: These accelerate heavy ions (such as uranium) to high energies for use in nuclear physics research.
"The largest accelerator currently active is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva, Switzerland, operated by CERN."
"It is a collider accelerator, which can accelerate two beams of protons to an energy of 6.5 TeV and cause them to collide head-on, creating center-of-mass energies of 13 TeV."
"Other powerful accelerators are RHIC at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York and, formerly, the Tevatron at Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois."
"Smaller particle accelerators are used in a wide variety of applications, including particle therapy for oncological purposes, radioisotope production for medical diagnostics, ion implanters for the manufacture of semiconductors, and accelerator mass spectrometers for measurements of rare isotopes such as radiocarbon."
"There are currently more than 30,000 accelerators in operation around the world."
"There are two basic classes of accelerators: electrostatic and electrodynamic (or electromagnetic) accelerators."
"Electrostatic particle accelerators use static electric fields to accelerate particles."
"The most common types are the Cockcroft–Walton generator and the Van de Graaff generator."
"The achievable kinetic energy for particles in these devices is determined by the accelerating voltage, which is limited by electrical breakdown."
"Electrodynamic or electromagnetic accelerators use changing electromagnetic fields (either magnetic induction or oscillating radio frequency fields) to accelerate particles."
"Since in these types the particles can pass through the same accelerating field multiple times, the output energy is not limited by the strength of the accelerating field."
"Rolf Widerøe, Gustav Ising, Leó Szilárd, Max Steenbeck, and Ernest Lawrence are considered pioneers of this field."
"Because the target of the particle beams of early accelerators was usually the atoms of a piece of matter, with the goal being to create collisions with their nuclei in order to investigate nuclear structure."
"Accelerators were commonly referred to as atom smashers in the 20th century."
"The term 'atom smashers' persists despite the fact that many modern accelerators create collisions between two subatomic particles, rather than a particle and an atomic nucleus."