Work Experience

Matthew Berry – Work experience student,
April 2009, Daresbury Laboratory

“I found it thoroughly engrossing, and I learnt lots about what takes place there, and yet it was always interesting and enjoyable”
Matthew’s words following two weeks spent with Dr. Lee Jones in the Accelerator Science and Technology Centre, part of the Cockcroft Institute at the Daresbury Laboratory. During this time at the Laboratory, Matthew saw the ALICE¹ and EMMA² particle accelerators, and learned how its cutting-edge technology will form the basis of the UK’s next particle accelerator-based light source (currently under design, and known simply as NLS and how the ALICE technologies are being used to build tuneable, high-power lasers.

The scientific concepts to which Matthew was exposed were far beyond those he had covered at school, but it was the perfect opportunity to look beyond the syllabus, and understand the scale of the impact that modern science can have on society, and the benefits it brings.Matthew successfully completed an experiment to measure the charge-to-mass ratio of an electron (using a device which was in fact a miniature particle accelerator), and using his computing skills, wrote an experimental method for making the measurements, and developed a spreadsheet to process the measurements and generate the result.  He also spent time in the vacuum laboratory, and glimpsed the challenges of achieving the extreme levels of vacuum required to successfully operate particle accelerators.

“I am very happy that I took up the opportunity to spend two weeks at Daresbury…… it was a wonderful experience”

Matthew working with the fine beam apparatus (beam detail shown in upper-left inset) to measure the charge-to-mass ratio of an electron.

¹Accelerators and Laser in Combined Experiments – The first energy-recovery linear accelerator in Europe.

²The Electron Model of Many Applications – A unique prototype for a class of compact particle accelerators which may be used to treat cancer.

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