“Phantoms” are tools that simulate a therapy’s response by mimicking the conditions of the human body. They are required in hadron therapy in order to optimise and verify the therapy before performing it on the patient. The better the phantom, the more accurate the treatment plan and the more effective the therapy. In the framework of the EU-funded project ENTERVISION*, a team of CERN researchers has designed an innovative piece of equipment able to evaluate radiobiology-related parameters in a very accurate way. >>

Geneva is variously known as the city of peace, the world’s smallest metropolis and a place where great ideas have taken form. It has been the home to philosophers such as Rousseau and Voltaire. It was the centre of the Calvinist reformation and birthplace of the Red Cross. >>

The buzzword you'll hear most both inside and outside the CCC is "training". Rather than preparation for an athletic competition, it actually refers to the way the LHC is trying to get in shape for the long Run 2 marathon at 6.5 TeV. >>

Over the past few days, the SPS has been accelerating argon ions, which have started to be sent to the NA61/SHINE experiment. This operating mode, using a new type of ion, required a number of modifications to the accelerator. >>

Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) are the heart of any electronic device, including your toaster and your smartphone. Designing PCBs is the job of electronic engineers who, so far, have often had no option but to use proprietary tools to design complex circuits. Thanks to the efforts that CERN experts have put in to improve the free KiCad software, that situation is about to change. >>

Alongside the CMS Pixel Luminosity Telescope (PLT) – installed last month (see here) – lie diamond detectors. No ordinary gems, these lab-grown diamonds will be playing a vital role in Run 2: differentiating signals from collision products with those from the beam background. >>

One of the most culturally inspiring – yet unexpected – venues where you can find an exhibition about CERN and particle physics these days is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. Discover The Alphabet of the Universe: from CERN to North Africa and the Middle East in the cradle of knowledge par excellence. >>

CERN openlab is a unique public-private partnership between CERN and leading ICT companies. At the start of this year, openlab officially entered its fifth phase, which will run until the end of 2017. For the first time in its history, it has extended beyond the CERN community to include other major European and international research laboratories. >>

To strengthen even more its links with the United Nations and the world of multilateral diplomacy, CERN is launching a new series of seminars aiming to introduce other international organisations to CERN’s internal audience. The Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) will lead the way with a seminar on 20 February. You are all invited to take part. >>

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded starting grants to Magdalena Kowalska, a member of the ISOLDE physics team, and Claude Duhr, CERN Theory Division. The funding will enable them to build their own research teams at CERN, engaging postdocs and PhD students. >>

Following on from our recent Bulletin article on “How to succeed in software deployment” (see here), we repeatedly face the problem that “standard” IT services are replicated within CERN or even outsourced to external companies. >>