Applications of particle accelerators in Europe: 5. Accelerators and energy

Applications of Particle Accelerators in Europe (APAE) is an EU project, launched in June 2015, which aims to show how the accelerator technology, developed as a result of accelerator research, is of benefit to the wider community. It is organised by Work Package 4 of the EuCARD2 project, an Integrating Activity Project for coordinated Research and Development on Particle Accelerators, cofunded by the European Commission under the FP7 Capacities. The APAE project aims to promote the development of novel accelerator technologies and to identify new applications in six sectors: › Health – accelerators produce particles and radiation for radiotherapy, and make radionuclides for clinical applications. › Industry – accelerators generate electron beams and ion beams for materials analysis and modification. › Energy – accelerators can be employed in the transmutation of nuclear waste and in nuclear fusion. › Security – accelerators generate X-rays, gamma-rays and neutrons required for screening operations in border security, counter-terrorism and nuclear security. › Analysis with photons – the accelerator-based production of very bright electromagnetic radiation (mostly X-rays) for studies of the structure and behaviour of a wide variety of materials at the atomic and molecular scales using a variety of X-ray analytical techniques such as crystallography. The main photon sources used are synchrotrons and free electron lasers. › Analysis with neutrons – the accelerator-based production of neutron beams via spallation for studies of the structure and behaviour of materials at the atomic and molecular scales using neutron-scattering techniques. This document explains the current state of the art in accelerator technology and how accelerators are used in these applied areas. It also identifies the key future developments that would be beneficial to these sectors.