Introduction to Particle Accelerators (NPAP MOOC)

Welcome to the Nordic Particle Accelerator Program’s (NPAP) Massive Open Online Courses and to the fascinating world of particle accelerators!Did you know that in the year of 2000 there were more than 15 000 particle accelerators in the world? Yet, today it has grown to more than 30 000 of them! A third of the particle accelerators are dedicated to medical applications, such as radio therapy, and a half are used for ion implantation in semiconductor devices. Also numerous particle accelerators are used for sterilizing food. Despite these everyday life examples of small particle accelerators, it is the large accelerators, like the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, that most people associate with particle accelerators. There will be many new applications for particle accelerators in the future and by that there is a need for MOOCs that describe the techniques and applications of these machines..

The NPAP series of MOOCs consists of three MOOCs designed to disseminate knowledge about particle accelerator technology to impacted fields. The courses have been made possible thanks to the support of the Erasmus Plus, Strategic Partnership funding of the European Commission and thanks to the dedicated lecturers from the universities of Lund, Uppsala, Arhus, Oslo and Jyväskylä, and by experts from the MAX IV Laboratory and European Spallation Source (ESS), both in Lund, Sweden.

In many of the lectures we detail the MAX IV Laboratory and ESS - currently hosting the most powerful synchrotron light source and neutron source in the world. In the MAX IV Laboratory intense X-ray beams are produced by electrons that are first accelerated to almost the speed of light, and at ESS protons will be accelerated and, by a process called spallation, generate intense beams of neutron. The X-ray and neutron beams are used for looking into matter, down to the atomic level. The MAX IV Laboratory and ESS form a unique European center of excellence for thousands of scientists that together build the world of tomorrow. We also take a closer look at the Large Hadron Collider, at CERN, in Geneva. This powerful machine has already had an immense impact on theoretical physics and will continue to contribute to our knowledge of nature for quite some time.

The first course in our NPAP series is the Introduction to Particle Accelerators. It explains how a particle accelerator can generate light of wavelengths down to one Angstrom. It also explains how the ESS facility can create a massive flux of neutrons by accelerating protons and let them smash into a disk of tungsten. The initial modules provide the basic knowledge about linear and circular accelerators that is required to understand other types of accelerators, like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), at CERN in Geneva. We describe LHC and give an introduction to the elementary particle physics it is used for. We continue by describing some new concepts for future particle accelerators, like plasma driven accelerators.

The second MOOC in the series is called “Fundamentals of Particle Accelerator Technology (NPAP MOOC)” and offers four modules: The Radio Frequency (RF) System of Accelerators; Magnet technology for accelerator; Beam Diagnostics; Basics of Vacuum techniques. The third MOOC is - Medical Applications of Particle Accelerators, which offers the four modules: Introduction to the course and radiotherapy; Linear electron accelerators for radiotherapy; Proton therapy part I; Proton therapy part II and the production of medical radionuclides.

The three MOOCs can be taken either separately or as a package. For students that intend to take all three courses we recommend that they are taken in order.

Get started and join us on this journey through the world of particle accelerators and be amazed by their importance for our lives and societies!

Best Regards, The NPAP Team!

• You will learn how electrons can create light

• You will learn the basic principles of synchrotron light sources and MAX-IV

• You will learn how protons can be accelerated in a linear accelerator and how they can produce neutrons by spallation at the ESS

• You will learn what particle colliders are and what they can be used for

Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Accelerators for Synchrotron Light
Week 2
Photon light sources and MAX IV
Week 3
Spallation sources and ESS
Week 4
Particle Colliders
Week 5
Stay tuned for upcoming resources
Week 6
Well done! You have now successfully finalized the course!

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Reviews

very well-made course, with sufficient amount of info and reading materials

Excellent course. Everything was explained precisely. Really got inspired by the teaching and the content.

Fantastic course that explains well both the general ideas and the fine details for particle accelerators and their applications. Thank you to all the collaborators! Looking forward to module 5!

Well this introductory course was good enough toknow about various colliders among all over the world