III.2 — Particle accelerators in the XXI century

Abstract

Particle accelerators are sophisticated instruments designed to concentrate energy at atomic and subatomic scales and use it to explore matter, generate secondary beams, or drive industrial processes. Their impressive evolution over the last century has been driven by a series of innovations, the last one being the widespread introduction of superconductivity at the end of the XX century. In this XXI century, the demand for more scientific discoveries and for a wider use of accelerators for societal applications is high, but to sustain their growth accelerators need to increase their performance while meeting new sustainability goals. In this dynamic landscape, new innovative technologies are appearing and are competing with traditional technologies pushed at their extreme limits. Particle accelerator research is a very dynamic interdisciplinary field that provides excellent opportunities for young creative students.