CAS course on Plasma Wake Acceleration
The CERN Accelerator School (CAS) recently organised a specialised course on Plasma Wake Acceleration, held at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland, from 23 to 29 November 2014.
Following a number of introductory lectures on laser and plasma physics, as well as an overview of conventional accelerators and their limitations, the course covered a large number of aspects of plasma wake acceleration schemes: the creation of plasma by high power lasers or particle beams, a description of the plasma creation process through simulations and the characteristics of the accelerated particle beams, including results of the latest achievements. Lectures on beam diagnostics, the applications of plasma accelerated beams, and topical seminars completed the programme.
The course was very successful, with 109 students of 26 nationalities attending; most participants coming from European counties, but also from the US, Israel, India, South Korea, Russia and Ukraine. Feedback from the participants was extremely positive, reflecting the very high standard of the lectures and teaching.
In addition to the academic programme, the participants also had an opportunity to take part in a typical Swiss folklore evening and a CERN visit on the Saturday morning, both of which were highly appreciated by all who took part.
Forthcoming CAS courses in 2015 will be a specialised school on Accelerators for Medical Applications to be held at Vösendorf, Austria, from 26 May to 5 June 2015, an Advanced School on Accelerator Physics, to be held in Warsaw, Poland, from 27 September to 9 October 2015 and a specialised school on Intensity Limitations in Particle Accelerators to be held at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland, from 2 to 11 November 2015.
More information on all of these schools is available on the CAS website.
