The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Department of Physics and Astronomy hosted distinguished accelerator physicist Vladimir Shiltsev for a week of discussions, lectures and collaboration centered around the university’s linear accelerator.
Shiltsev’s visit in February created an opportunity for students and faculty to jointly brainstorm on expanding the potential of UH Mānoa’s electron linear accelerator, a facility housed in Watanabe Hall.
The instrument contributes to cutting-edge scientific research that can lead to advances in high-tech industries, medical imaging, and renewable energy, benefiting Hawaiʻi’s economy and healthcare. Additionally, it provides local students with hands-on experience in world-class physics, fostering homegrown talent and innovation.
“I am very optimistic about the future and opportunities that UH Mānoa’s electron linear accelerator will provide,” Shiltsev said. “The program will support unique studies in several fields, including AI and machine learning, high-energy physics, nuclear physics colliders, light sources/free electron lasers, instrumentation and technology development, and medical and electronics applications.”
Originally developed by the late Professor John Madey, the accelerator had been dormant for several years before a recent revival led by Assistant Professors Siqi Li and Niels Bidault.
“This was an incredible opportunity for our students and faculty to engage with one of the leading minds in accelerator physics,” Li said. “Vladimir Shiltsev’s insights on modern accelerator technology and its future applications were inspiring, and they reinforced the significance of our work here at UH Mānoa.”
- Related UH News story: Assistant Professor Siqi Li is a 2024 recipient of a $994,320 Department of Energy EPSCOR grant for her work on accelerator physics, October 2, 2024
Shiltsev, a former director of the Fermilab Accelerator Physics Center and Accelerator Research Division in the U.S. Department of Energy, now at Northern Illinois University, gave a colloquium and seminar. In addition, the former chair of the American Physical Society Division of Physics of Beams discussed new research opportunities utilizing UH Mānoa’s accelerator and its upgrades aimed at propelling the university’s beam physics program to leading positions both nationally and internationally, and a broader impact on Hawaiʻi’s tech industry.
Under the guidance of Li and Bidault, the machine is undergoing technical upgrades and is expected to begin accelerating beams later this year.
“The visit emphasized the importance of this facility not only for our research but also for training the next generation of physicists,” Bidault said. “Students were able to ask questions, gain perspective on career paths, and see how their work fits into the broader landscape of accelerator physics.”
