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No, an LHC beam has energies of over 6 teraelectron volts; this device is only capable of a maximum of 12 kiloelectron volts. According to the article if they

No, an LHC beam has energies of over 6 teraelectron volts; this device is only capable of a maximum of 12 kiloelectron volts. According to the article if they make it 100 times more powerful it would be useful for producing radioisotopes for PET scans, protons for proton therapy, heavy ions for heavy ion therapy, etc. Currently the particle accelerators used in medical facilities are big and expensive so this would make them far more accessible to hospitals world wide.

wwarner 3y ago
True, of course, but miniaturization is always lurking in the background of every big physics project. When I was in college, we had a Nobel laureate in physics that won the race to photograph an atom by figuring out how to do it on a tabletop. While everyone else was figuring out how to build bigger and bigger systems, he worked out how to trap a single (I think) cadmium ion with magnets and make it glow.
pbhjpbhj 3y ago
Yes, they're applying the technique to miniature electronics, I'm wondering what the physical limits are to laser acceleration of particles (protons, say). It seems like you could transfer momentum to any particle traveling slower than might speed - so you could get a relatively high momentum; and you could accelerate neutral particles ... Why would it not work? For avoidance of doubt, I'm not imagining a miniature device, just possibly a linear device that is maybe smaller than LHC. They used to use linear arrays prior to development of synchro-cyclotrons, IIRC. Seems like it would be somewhat akin to a beam of single particle light-sails. Basically, I was imagining this - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230731110723.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230731110723.h... "New method improves proton acceleration with high power laser". All my best ideas have already been done!

wwarner 3y ago

True, of course, but miniaturization is always lurking in the background of every big physics project. When I was in college, we had a Nobel laureate in physics that won the race to photograph an atom by figuring out how to do it on a tabletop. While everyone else was figuring out how to build bigger and bigger systems, he worked out how to trap a single (I think) cadmium ion with magnets and make it glow.

pbhjpbhj 3y ago

Yes, they're applying the technique to miniature electronics, I'm wondering what the physical limits are to laser acceleration of particles (protons, say). It seems like you could transfer momentum to any particle traveling slower than might speed - so you could get a relatively high momentum; and you could accelerate neutral particles ... Why would it not work? For avoidance of doubt, I'm not imagining a miniature device, just possibly a linear device that is maybe smaller than LHC. They used to use linear arrays prior to development of synchro-cyclotrons, IIRC. Seems like it would be somewhat akin to a beam of single particle light-sails. Basically, I was imagining this - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230731110723.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230731110723.h... "New method improves proton acceleration with high power laser". All my best ideas have already been done!