Fundamentals of Accelerator Physics and Technology with Simulations and Measurements Lab

Sponsoring University:

Northern Illinois University

Course Name:

Fundamentals of Accelerator Physics and Technology with Simulations and Measurements Lab
This class is limited to 30 students

Instructors:

Pavel Snopok, Illinois Institution of Technology; Xueying Lu, Northern Illinois University; Diktys Stratakis, Fermilab

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Purpose and Audience

This course is an introduction to the underlying principles and uses of the nearly 14,000 particle accelerators that are used worldwide in medicine, industry, and scientific research. The course is suitable for senior undergraduate and entry-level graduate students in physics and engineering or students from other fields with interest in accelerator-based science.  The course is also appropriate for engineers and technicians working in accelerator-related fields who wish to broaden their background.

Prerequisites

A general understanding of classical physics at the introductory level, and electromagnetism at a junior undergraduate level (such as found, for example, in "Introduction to Electrodynamics" by David J. Griffiths).  Also, some exposure to special relativity is helpful (at the level of "Special Relativity" by A.P. French or "Introduction to Special Relativity" by Robert Resnick).

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they meet the course prerequisites or have equivalent experience. Students may self-evaluate using these questions.

Objectives
This course focuses on the physical principles of particle accelerators and beams. Lectures will review and synthesize concepts from special relativity and electromagnetics in the context of particle accelerators.  Upon completing this course, students should understand the basic principles of particle accelerators, and how to interpret the measured characteristics of the beams they produce.

Instructional Method
This course will offer a series of lectures and measurement and simulation laboratory sessions. The laboratory sessions will introduce students to computer simulations and measurements of magnets and rf cavities. The lab course will emphasize the comparison of measurement data with computer simulation results. The students will be required to write measurement lab reports and answer guided questions in the simulation labs and will be graded on them. Homework problems will be regularly assigned, and instructors will be available to help answer questions about the homework and lectures during the evening help sessions and the weekend. There will be a final exam on the last day of the class.

Course Content
The lectures will begin with a review of the relevant special relativity, dynamics, and electromagnetic theory as applied to beam properties and accelerator components.  Basic components such as bending and focusing magnets, beam diagnostics and radio frequency accelerating structures will be described.  A variety of machine lattices and types of accelerating structures will be touched upon. The lecture material will proceed through the basic principles of single particle motion, both transverse and longitudinal.  This includes a discussion of applied electromagnetic restoring forces responsible for capturing particles in oscillations about a desired trajectory in an accelerator, storage ring, or transport line. Synchrotron radiation is covered, as well as methods of beam characterization, such as beam emittance.   As time permits, special topics such as collective effects (wakefields, space charge) or specific accelerator technologies will be surveyed.

Reading Requirements
Course reading materials and homework assignments will be supplied in electronic form.  In addition, "An Introduction to the Physics of High Energy Accelerators", by D.A. Edwards and M.J. Syphers, Wiley Interscience, 1992 will be used as reference and is available at https://archive.org/details/WileySeriesInBeamPhysicsAndAcceleratorTechnologyD.A.EdwardsM.J.SyphersAnIntroduc

Credit Requirements
Students will be evaluated based on performance: homework assignments (40% of final grade), laboratory reports (30% of final grade), and the final exam (30% of final grade). 

USPAS Computer Requirements
There will be no Computer Lab and all participants are required to bring their own portable computer to access online course notes and computer resources. This can be a laptop or a tablet with a sufficiently large screen and keyboard. Windows, Mac, and Linux-based systems that are wifi capable and have a standard web browser and mouse are all acceptable. You should have privileges for software installs. If you are unable to bring a computer, please contact uspas@fnal.gov ASAP to request a laptop loan. Very limited IT support and spare loaner laptops will be available during the session.

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Michigan State University course number: PHY 405 Directed Studies, Section 701 Fundamentals of Accelerator Physics and Technology with Simulations and Measurements Lab
Indiana University course number: Physics 470, Accelerator Fundamentals
MIT course number: 8.277, Introduction to Particle Accelerators