A particle accelerator propels charged particles, such as protons or electrons, close to the speed of light. They are then smashed either onto a target or against other particles circulating in the opposite direction. By studying these collisions, physicists are able to probe the world of the infinitely small.
How does an accelerator work?
Accelerators use electromagnetic fields to accelerate and steer particles. Radiofrequency cavities boost the particle beams, while magnets focus the beams and bend their trajectory. In a circular accelerator, the particles repeat the same circuit for as long as necessary, getting an energy boost at each turn. In theory, the energy could be increased over and over again. However, the more energy the particles have, the more powerful the magnetic fields have to be to keep them in their circular orbit. A linear accelerator, on the contrary, is exclusively formed of accelerating structures since the particles do not need to be deflected, but they only benefit from a single acceleration pass. In this case, increasing the energy means increasing the length of the accelerator.
From increasing luminosity in colliders to building more powerful spallation sources, collective effects in hadron beams are a major challenge for present accelerator-based projects
The 2026 update will give a recommendation for a possible future particle accelerator at CERN as well as suggestions for future particle physics research areas, industry links and support for early-career scientists
AI can play a role in optimising accelerator designs and improving medical imaging, says a leading accelerator scientist who backs Liverpool to become a new ‘AI Growth Zone’
In December 2023, the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel made strong recommendations for the future muon collider, boosting the international muon collider collaboration.
The 2023 Enrico Fermi Prize of the Italian Physical Society (SIF) has been awarded to Massimo Ferrario, Lucio Rossi and Frank Zimmermann for their outstanding contributions to accelerator technologies.
Sponsored by the European Network for Novel Accelerators, the Simon van der Meer Award recognises outstanding early career contributions (theoretical, experimental, computational or technical) in novel accelerator science
Through ingenious kinetic energy recycling in combination with a multi-turn acceleration concept, electric power can be saved while, at the same time, high-power particle beams can be provided.
