16 August 2010

1st beam steered around a non scaling
FFAG ring

Director’s message on achieving an EMMA Milestone

A big congratulations to the team on this remarkable achievement, a significant milestone!  The development of a non-scaling FFAG in the UK is unique in the world today. This novel device has the promise of being a major component in future grand instruments of science probing the structure and function of matter as well as very many societal applications in health and energy! I wish you further success in keeping the momentum in commissioning its radio-frequency system and then the demonstration of the EMMA with its full scope!

Onwards and upwards!
Swapan Chattopadhyay

On Monday 16th August at 1:03 am the 1st electron beam was successfully steered around the total circumference of the EMMA ring.  Two complete turns were achieved, with beam detected on the third turn before the accelerator was switched off for the night at just after 3am.

This is the 1st beam steered around a non scaling FFAG ring and a significant milestone for the CONFORM project and our international collaborators. The next steps, starting later this week will be the commissioning of the radio-frequency system followed by  the world’s 1st demonstration of the new mode of acceleration that EMMA is designed to demonstrate. This novel accelerator concept could be applied to a range of applications including  cancer therapy, safe clean energy and muon acceleration for fundamental physics.

I would like to emphasis what a fantastic achievement this is for the team and I would like to all thank all those who have put in a supreme effort over this holiday period to ensure this success.

Susan Smith