Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday August 12 2020, @10:29AM   Printer-friendly
from the is-that-a-particle-accelerator-in-your-pocket? dept.

Phys.org has the story on new research demonstrating an extremely small particle accelerator that uses lasers to generate terahertz frequency pulses of light to accelerate electrons.

Scientists have successfully developed a pocket-sized particle accelerator capable of projecting ultra-short electron beams with laser light at more than 99.99% of the speed of light.

To achieve this result, the researchers have had to slow down light to match the speed of the electrons using a specially designed metallic structure lined with quartz layers thinner than a human hair.

This huge leap forward simultaneously offers the ability to both measure and manipulate particle bunches on time scales of less than 10 femtoseconds (0.000 000 000 000 01 seconds, or the time is takes light to travel 1/100th of a millimeter). This will enable them to create strobe photographs of atomic motion.

Particle accelerators are widespread with applications in basic research in particle physics, materials characterisation, radiotherapy in hospitals, where they are used to treat cancer patients, radioisotope production for medical imaging, and security screening of cargo. The basic technology (radio-frequency oscillators) underpinning these machines however, was developed for radar during the Second World War.

In new research published today in Nature Photonics, a collaborative team of academics show that their unique solution is to use lasers to generate terahertz frequency pulses of light. Terahertz is a region of the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared (used in TV remotes) and microwave (used in microwave ovens). Laser-generated THz radiation exists in the ideal millimeter-scale wavelength regime, making structure fabrication simpler but most importantly providing the half-cycle lengths that are well suited for acceleration of whole electron bunches with high levels of charge.

In addition to applications such as radiotherapy and imaging, in the long run the researchers feel this technology could potentially be used to replace miles-long particle accelerators in use today with devices only meters in length.

Journal Reference
Hibberd, M.T., Healy, A.L., Lake, D.S. et al. Acceleration of relativistic beams using laser-generated terahertz pulses. Nat. Photonics (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-020-0674-1


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 12 2020, @03:41PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 12 2020, @03:41PM (#1035582)

    Replace "military" with "people" and you will be more correct.
    We have seen what "defunding the police" leads to in liberal Democratic cities. Imagine elevating that level of criminal mayhem to the international level if you weaken the military.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 12 2020, @04:03PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 12 2020, @04:03PM (#1035597)

    And imagine if you understood what "defund the police" actually meant!

    • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 12 2020, @08:54PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 12 2020, @08:54PM (#1035781)

      Just like a Leftist. Pretending not to understand what simple English words mean.