Part III—A century of particle accelerators—JUAS seminars

Part III features the seminars given to illustrate the courses. What purposes do the accelerators serve? How did the technology develop? What are the links between the different fields in which accelerators are used? Insights into practical applications improve the integration of the courses. The ongoing demand from fundamental research and societal applications is now evolving within the framework of sustainability, leading to the introduction of new technologies that shift from “incremental innovation” to “disruptive innovation”. The evolution of the CERN accelerator complex over 70 years is a good example of the remarkable development of the discipline. In the 16 chapters, many colliders are reviewed; these machines allow high energies to be reached, seeking to produce new particles. Some of these are already in operation, while others are under construction or still at the research stage. Other recent facilities include X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs), energy-recovery linacs (ERLs), and accelerator-driven systems (ADSs), which are being considered for the transmutation of long-lived nuclear waste. Machine learning, as a mathematical tool, is investigated for its potential to improve accelerator operation. One chapter illustrates the design of beamlines derived from the main CERN accelerators (PSB, PS, and SPS) for fixed-target experiments. Radiation oncology (biology, physics, and clinical applications) is introduced by a hospital doctor, focusing on historical developments and future perspectives; vast improvements in curability and reduced toxicity have already been obtained.