U.S. Particle Accelerator School
U.S. Particle Accelerator School
America's National School of Accelerator Science and Technology

Fundamentals of Accelerator Physics and Technology with Simulations and Measurements Lab course

Sponsoring University:

Michigan State University

Course:

Fundamentals of Accelerator Physics and Technology with Simulations and Measurements Lab (undergraduate level)

Instructors:

Fernando Sannibale, Soren Prestemon and David Robin, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab


Purpose and Audience
The purpose of this course is to introduce the students to the physics and technology of particle beam accelerators. This course is suitable for last year undergraduate students or students from other fields considering accelerator physics as a possible career. This course also can provide a broader background to engineers and technicians working in the field of accelerator technology.

Prerequisites
Courses in College Physics and first year Calculus.

Objectives
This introductory course avoids heavy mathematical treatment and will focus on the fundamental principles of particle accelerators and beam dynamics. Fundamental physics and technologies of particle acceleration are explored, with emphasis on basic relationships, definitions, and applications found in the field of particle accelerators. On completion of this course, the students are expected to understand the basic workings of accelerators and its components. Furthermore, they will comprehend basic principles and definitions of beam dynamics and will be able to analyze experimental observations in terms of fundamental beam dynamics.

Instructional Method
This course includes a series of 19 lectures during morning sessions, followed by afternoon laboratory sessions. The laboratory sessions will introduce students to computer simulations and measurements of magnets and rf cavities. The emphasis of the course labs will be comparison of measurement data with computer simulation. Additional computer labs will provide the student exercises in particle motion, stability and computation of synchrotron radiation properties. The students will write a report on a subset of the total labs provided for the course lab component grade. The students are however, encouraged to explore all the labs provided. Problem sets will be assigned which will be expected to be completed outside of scheduled class sessions.

Course Content
Introductory material will include discussions of classical dynamics and relativity, synchrotron radiation and the historical development of accelerators. Basic components such as bending and focusing magnets, electrostatic deflectors, beam diagnostics and radio frequency accelerating structures will be described. Comparisons between hadron and electron accelerators will be presented, and examples of modern accelerator facilities discussed as well as state-of-the-art accelerator R&D.

Reading Requirements
(to be provided by the USPAS) “Particle Accelerator Physics I & II”, (study edition) Springer-Verlag (2003) by Helmut Wiedemann. Suggested reference: Donald A. Edwards and Michael J. Syphers, "An Introduction to the Physics of High Energy Accelerators," Wiley & Sons Publishers 1993.

Credit Requirements
Students will be evaluated based on performance: final exam (30 % of final grade), homework assignments (40 % of final grade) computer/lab sessions (30 % of final grade).