As physicists solve more problems, the remaining mysteries become increasingly complex, as do the machines needed to study them. Particle accelerators are the most powerful microscopes in the world - making them larger allows for scientists to venture into unexplored territories. But how much larger do we need to go?
Particle, accelerator and plasma physicists are joining forces to go back the drawing board. By redesigning the acceleration procedure itself, we ultimately hope to achieve the extreme energies needed to probe the fundamental physics, in a fraction of the space and cost.
I present a miniature documentary on the AWAKE experiment at CERN, the world's first proton-driven plasma wakefield accelerator. This proof-of-concept facility has demonstrated electron acceleration with high gradients, and we are now looking to enhance the technology for potential use in high-energy physics.
It's been a couple of years since I was actively involved in science communication, and I've missed it! I'm fortunate enough to work on a beautiful experiment, with some fascinating physics, and I'm delighted to share it with you.
Special thanks to: N. Z. van Gils, M. Bergamaschi, L. Ranc, D. Cooke, J. Farmer, J. Vieira, R. Fonseca, M. Moreira, M. Turner, G. Zevi Della Porta, M. Wing, P. Muggli, E. Gschwendtner.
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CERN retains copyright for any of their material.
- AWAKE (7:58 & 9:10 & 11:55) CERN-FOOTAGE-2018-029-003 © 2018 CERN
- CERN Accelerator Complex animation (0:51 & 2:58 & 9:29 & 9:39) CERN-VIDEO-2015-024-001 © 2015 CERN
- Drone CERN Control Centre (8:49) CERN-FOOTAGE-2022-048-002 © 2022 CERN
- 70 years of unveiling the Universe (2:01) CERN-VIDEO-2024-007-001 © 2024 CERN
- Animation LHC RF cavity (1:27) CERN-FOOTAGE-2014-024-005 © 2014 CERN
- LINAC4 Footage (3:01) CERN-FOOTAGE-2017-020-001 © 2017 CERN
- Photographs (12:58 & 13:34 & 13:40) © CERN
