Scientists Bringing ‘Table Top’ Particle Accelerators a Step Closer

September 30, 2004 | Source: KurzweilAI

Three research teams announced new developments in producing relativistic electron beams using laser-produced plasmas to accelerate the beams.

The beams have a narrow energy spread and are focusable. These new developments could help to shrink the size and cost of future particle accelerators for fundamental physics experiments and applications in materials and biomedicine. Laser electron accelerators could eventually fit into a university basement.

All three research teams published their results in the September 30, 2004 issue of Nature.

Imperial College London news release and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory news release