The VELA Accelerator 14 June 2013 Dr Katharine Robertson ASTeC Business Development Manager

Overview STFC/ASTeC background Accelerators in the industrial context ASTeC Industrial Engagement The VELA facility –Background –Progress –Technical specifications –Industrial Access Upcoming event 2

1.Impact on the economy Growth Build knowledge economy 2.Address the big challenges facing us and the world energy, environment, healthcare and security

Grant-funded programmes in astronomy, particle physics and nuclear physics Working with universities Access to world leading, large scientific facilities for UK researchers and UK industry Working with the other research councils, universities, business and industry, international organisations Promote academic and industry collaboration at the Harwell Oxford and Sci-Tech Daresbury Science & Innovation Campuses Working with Business and industry, TSB, UKSA, UKAEA, etc

ASTeC Background & Heritage ~55 scientists, engineers and technologists across 2 sites 50 year heritage in world-leading accelerator technology –Only institute in the world with experience in 4 generations of accelerator technology 1 st Generation - NINA – reason for establishment of DL 2 nd Generation - SRS – – world’s first fully dedicated machine using synchrotron radiation for applied & fundamental research 3 rd Generation – design of Diamond 4 th Generation light source & new accelerator concepts –EMMA – world first ‘ns-FFAG’ – potential to make accelerators more compact, simpler and cheaper –ALICE – first accelerator in Europe to operate in ‘energy recovery’ mode

Accelerators in context Estimated 24,000 accelerators globally –Only 200 used for research – less than 1% Used in: –Healthcare - radio-/hadron-therapy, radioisotope production, medical sterilisation –Security - threat detection, cargo screening –Environment - waste water treatment, flue gas treatment –Manufacturing - polymer cross-linking, ink curing, food irradiation –….

Accelerators in context Over €400bn end products worldwide every year will see an accelerator at some point in their production And… the underpinning technologies have lots of applications too ‘Accelerators for society’;

ASTeC Industrial Engagement –In line with STFC goal to maximise impact for ‘UK PLC’ –Seeking & pursuing opportunities to apply ASTeC’s specialist skills, facilities and technologies to industrial challenges HM Government &

Key Offerings Access to large, complex and unique research facilities that industry cannot design, procure or operate (e.g. VELA, ALICE) A vast array of underpinning technology, driven to the cutting-edge by the challenges of particle accelerators. Widely applicable elsewhere (e.g. ultra-high vacuum & coatings). The knowledge and skills to make these concepts reality

VELA – a new accelerator facility PM David Cameron announces new Enterprise Zone at Sci-Tech Daresbury £7.5M  High Performance Computing £2.5M  Accelerators – enabling the construction of our newest accelerator facility, VELA VELA = Versatile Electron Linear Accelerator 17 August 2011

VELA Progress Originally called EBTF (Electron Beam Test Facility) Renamed VELA in March 2013 First electrons 5 April 2013 Commissioning underway Full operations in Sept 2013

VELA Technical Specifications ParameterVELAUnits Beam Energy4-6MeV Bunch Charge pC Bunch Length (  t,rms ) ps Normalised Emittance1 - 4 mm Beam size (  x,y,rms ) 1 - 5mm Energy Spread (  e,rms ) 1 - 5% Bunch Repetition Rate 1 – 10*Hz -6 MeV electron beam -Very short pulses -Conversion via a target possible for short pulse x-rays *1 – 400 Hz with high rep. rate gun – future upgrade

VELA features Very high quality, pulsed electron beam. Ultra-short pulses, highly stable (position, time, energy etc.), excellent diagnostics, customisable beam. Two big, flexible, fully shielded experimental areas. Easy access for industry. Can access “both sides of the wall”. High performance capability of VELA being developed to explore fundamental delivery capabilities of future compact FEL sources (-> CLARA*) *Compact Linear Advanced Research Accelerator

VELA – Industrial Access Available to industry on a highly flexible basis. –Or via industry/academic collaboration Access on pay-per-day costing model. STFC can offer end-to-end support including consultancy, design & build of experimental set-up, facility operation and analysis of results. –Tailored to customer’s needs Access can be arranged to other areas of STFC’s vast repository of scientific, engineering & computational expertise/facilities –E.g. Diamond, ISIS, CLF, HPC facilities, plus wide range of small- and mid-range equipment

VELA - Exploitation Examples of upcoming studies on VELA: –Novel security scanning techniques –Performance testing of RF power delivery components –Testing of novel beam position monitors –Evaluation of beam diagnostics technologies –Testing & evaluation of beam stabilisation equipment

VELA – monitoring impact Tracking many metrics to monitor impact –No. users –Visitors to facility –External visits made –Grants awarded –Talks & presentations –Skills/knowledge gained –Collaborative projects & partnership agreements –IP & Licencing –Products/services/technologies developed –Promotional publications & case studies –Impacts on collaborators/partners/users/STFC Developing case studies as we go

Summary STFC and ASTeC aim to maximise economic impact of our research, skills and facilities VELA is a new electron accelerator which is available to industry on a highly flexible basis Also exploring application areas of underpinning technologies Contact:

Upcoming event Environmental Applications of Accelerators 9 th July Cockcroft Institute Industry, academia, supply chain FREE EVENT - REGISTER AT: