The University of Bath hosted an international workshop this week, organised by CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. This is the first time the prestigious event has been held outside of CERN’s Geneva facility since its launch.
The Low-Density Materials Workshop for Particle Accelerator Applications brought together researchers, industry partners and lab experts from around the world. Over two days, attendees explored how new lightweight and nanostructured materials could help solve key challenges in particle accelerator technology.
Senior physicists from CERN were joined by accelerator science and nanomaterials specialists from France, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bath, opened the workshop with a welcome address.
He said: “The challenges at the frontier of particle accelerator science demand collaboration across disciplines and borders. Hosting this workshop at Bath reflects our commitment to supporting world-leading research and to fostering the partnerships needed to develop the materials that will enable the next generation of discovery.”
Dr Alexander Lunt, CMS & CERN Affiliation Lead at the University of Bath and the workshop’s chair, said: “Here at Bath, we’re developing pioneering carbon nanotube materials that could have applications in the next generation of particle accelerators.
“It’s an honour to host the workshop and share knowledge and ideas with the teams leading cutting-edge research and innovation that could shape the future of high-energy particle physics.”
Particle accelerators play a vital role in our understanding of the universe, and CERN is home to the world's largest and most powerful accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider.
Accelerators operate under extreme conditions and face challenges such as handling high-energy beams, high temperatures, and radiation. The workshop will explore how pioneering materials, such as carbon nanotubes and other low-density materials, could help improve the performance, safety and durability of these machines.
Over the course of the two-day workshop, researchers considered how they need materials to perform under increasingly high energies; how to handle materials safely; and the production capabilities of carbon nanotube-based and other low-density systems. They also shared knowledge on the latest advances in testing, modelling and manufacturing.
By bringing together experts from materials science, accelerator physics and advanced manufacturing, the annual workshop aims to identify current limitations and help shape future research.