EuPRAXIA-DN Fellows participate in IOP Particle Accelerators and Beams Conference

Ana Maria Guisao Betancur and Farhana Thesni Mada Parambil, EuPRAXIA-DN Fellows based at The University of Liverpool and the Cockcroft Institute, joined over 100 researchers and industry delegates from across the UK for the Institute of Physics (IOP) Particle Accelerators and Beams Conference. The annual conference is the UK’s premier event in the field of particle accelerators. This year, it took place in early July in Oxford and was hosted by the John Adams Institute and RAL.  Both EuPRAXIA-DN Fellows had the opportunity to give contributed talks.

Ana’s talk on “RF breakdown detection and localization using optical fibres” discussed the progress made during her secondment with the instrumentation company D-Beam. She analysed Cherenkov radiation signals produced in an oBLM from RF breakdowns during the commissioning of one of the accelerating structures on the CLARA accelerator at Daresbury Laboratory. With her analysis, it is now possible to achieve centimetre-level localisation of the breakdowns, which is important for better accelerator and beam control.

Ana Maria Guisao Betancur presenting her talk.

Farhana’s talk in the “Optimization of a Gas-Curtain based Ionization Profile Monitor for Laser-Driven Proton Therapy Applications” introduced a novel, real-time, non-invasive beam monitoring technique for ultra-high dose rate proton radiotherapy such as FLASH. The device utilizes a thin layer of gas to generate a visible signal when hit by the beam, which is then captured by a camera, enabling real-time beam monitoring. She discussed her CST simulations and successful testing of the system at the MC40 cyclotron facility at the University of Birmingham. Her work highlights the potential of gas jet-based monitors in compact medical accelerators and next-generation FLASH proton radiotherapy systems.

Aside from having the opportunity to present their latest research, the conference also provided Ana and Farhana with an excellent opportunity to network and form new connections. They also had the chance to have a tour of RAL, visiting the EPAC, ISIS and Diamond facilities.

Farhana Thesni Mada Parambil during her talk.

For more information about the conference, visit https://indico.global/event/5645/