A brighter spin on career prospects for physicists
CATHI (Cryogenics, accelerators and targets at HIE-ISOLDE) stood out among the Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITN) hosted by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).It provided the rare opportunity to participate in research and development (R&D) as well as construction and commissioning of the Isotope Separator On-Line Detector (ISOLDE) upgrade. The ISOLDE facility is dedicated to the production of radioactive ion beams for experiments in nuclear and atomic physics as well as materials and life sciences. Over 20 years of operation, ISOLDE was expanded to continue being a top-notch reference facility. In 2012, a major upgrade of the facility was launched. The HIE-ISOLDE project offered research training on a number of diverse themes, such as accelerator technology, beam instrumentation, ultra-high vacuum, cryogenics, radiation protection and material technologies. Through the CATHI ITN, the European industry was able to boost its scientific and technological base and promote research activities that support EU policies. A reflection of how successful the CATHI ITN has been in promoting links between CERN and external players is an increase in the number of associated partners from 13 to 20. In fact, the CATHI ITN helped build-up interest from industry in beam diagnostics, superconducting radio frequencies and superconducting solenoid magnets. During the four-year lifetime of the CATHI ITN, a considerable amount of technical know-how and scientific understanding has been accumulated on these themes and technologies. The findings have been disseminated within the scientific community through numerous journal papers and conference proceedings.
Keywords
CERN, Isotope Separator On-Line Detector, radioactive ion beams, research training, beam diagnostics
