Final Report Summary - DITANET (Novel diagnostic techniques for future particle accelerators: a Marie Curie initial training network)
Beam diagnostic systems are essential constituents of any particle accelerator; they reveal the properties of a beam and how it behaves in a machine. Without an appropriate set of diagnostic elements, it would simply be impossible to operate any accelerator complex let alone optimise its performance. Beam diagnostics is a rich field in which a great variety of physical effects are made use of which consequently provides a wide and solid base for the training of young researchers. Moreover, the principles that are used in any beam monitor or detector enter readily into industrial applications or the medical sector which guarantees that training of young researchers in this field is of relevance far beyond the pure field of particle accelerators. DITANET covers the development of advanced beam diagnostic methods for existing and future particle accelerators.
DITANET consists of 10 beneficiary network members, 12 associated partners and 10 adjunct partners. The project brings together universities, research centres and industry partners with the aim to provide excellent training to the next generation of researchers in this multi-disciplinary field. Since the start of the project on 1 June 2008, the consortium was joined by the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (United States (US)), the Universities of Maryland (US), Dundee (United Kingdom (UK)) and Uppsala (Sweden), Diamond Detectors Ltd. (UK), Fermi National Laboratory (US), RIKEN (Japan), Bergoz Instrumentation (France), CIEMAT (Spain) and SLAC (US). The network has supported 18 early stage researchers (ESR) and 3 experienced researchers (ER). All industry partners were members of the supervisory board in order to ensure industry-relevant aspects were covered within projects and to enhance knowledge transfer. They offered internships to the students to complement their scientific training and to build the bridge between academia and industry. The network fellows have developed beyond state-of-the-art beam instrumentation for particle accelerators, ranging from the highest energy 'atom smashers' at international laboratories to compact devices for specific industry applications. Many of these projects were realised in the frame of PhD projects. Examples of the research and development (R&D) realised within DITANET include: silicon microstrip detectors were successfully used for beam tracking studies for FAIR; a novel monitor was developed to measure the longitudinal beam profile in the world's highest energy accelerator - the LHC at CERN; secondary electron emission yield (SEY) and signal levels were studied in LINAC4 at CERN where a slit and grid system was developed; test measurements of different very low energy beam monitors for the ultra-low energy storage ring (USR), one of the key installations in the future Facility of Low energy Antiproton and Ion Research (FLAIR) at FAIR, were carried out; advanced instrumentation for medical accelerators, used for ion beam cancer therapy, was developed. The instrumentation developed within the frame of this project is of high relevance for many other particle accelerators, well beyond the frame of the initial consortium, and the research is expected to make significant contributions to the optimisation of accelerators internationally.
In addition to local training provided by the respective host institutions, DITANET organised a number of network-wide events: This included two international schools on beam diagnostics and complementary skills training for the network fellows, eight topical workshops on specific R&D challenges, such as longitudinal or transverse beam profile measurements or beam position monitoring, an international conference and a final symposium that, whilst mainly targeting the network trainees, were also open to the wider diagnostics community. This ensured vital knowledge exchange with a much wider community and paved the way for long term collaboration.
DITANET broadly disseminated its research results and training programme. This was achieved through peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals, the network's website (see http://www.liv.ac.uk/ditanet online for further details) which gathers information about all events that were organised and all research projects, contributions to international conferences, a quarterly newsletter and a brochure presenting the research outcomes and the network's researcher profiles.
DITANET consists of 10 beneficiary network members, 12 associated partners and 10 adjunct partners. The project brings together universities, research centres and industry partners with the aim to provide excellent training to the next generation of researchers in this multi-disciplinary field. Since the start of the project on 1 June 2008, the consortium was joined by the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (United States (US)), the Universities of Maryland (US), Dundee (United Kingdom (UK)) and Uppsala (Sweden), Diamond Detectors Ltd. (UK), Fermi National Laboratory (US), RIKEN (Japan), Bergoz Instrumentation (France), CIEMAT (Spain) and SLAC (US). The network has supported 18 early stage researchers (ESR) and 3 experienced researchers (ER). All industry partners were members of the supervisory board in order to ensure industry-relevant aspects were covered within projects and to enhance knowledge transfer. They offered internships to the students to complement their scientific training and to build the bridge between academia and industry. The network fellows have developed beyond state-of-the-art beam instrumentation for particle accelerators, ranging from the highest energy 'atom smashers' at international laboratories to compact devices for specific industry applications. Many of these projects were realised in the frame of PhD projects. Examples of the research and development (R&D) realised within DITANET include: silicon microstrip detectors were successfully used for beam tracking studies for FAIR; a novel monitor was developed to measure the longitudinal beam profile in the world's highest energy accelerator - the LHC at CERN; secondary electron emission yield (SEY) and signal levels were studied in LINAC4 at CERN where a slit and grid system was developed; test measurements of different very low energy beam monitors for the ultra-low energy storage ring (USR), one of the key installations in the future Facility of Low energy Antiproton and Ion Research (FLAIR) at FAIR, were carried out; advanced instrumentation for medical accelerators, used for ion beam cancer therapy, was developed. The instrumentation developed within the frame of this project is of high relevance for many other particle accelerators, well beyond the frame of the initial consortium, and the research is expected to make significant contributions to the optimisation of accelerators internationally.
In addition to local training provided by the respective host institutions, DITANET organised a number of network-wide events: This included two international schools on beam diagnostics and complementary skills training for the network fellows, eight topical workshops on specific R&D challenges, such as longitudinal or transverse beam profile measurements or beam position monitoring, an international conference and a final symposium that, whilst mainly targeting the network trainees, were also open to the wider diagnostics community. This ensured vital knowledge exchange with a much wider community and paved the way for long term collaboration.
DITANET broadly disseminated its research results and training programme. This was achieved through peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals, the network's website (see http://www.liv.ac.uk/ditanet online for further details) which gathers information about all events that were organised and all research projects, contributions to international conferences, a quarterly newsletter and a brochure presenting the research outcomes and the network's researcher profiles.