You are now at the Nordic Particle Accelerator Program (NPAP), Massive Online Courses. This is the exciting world of particle accelerators. Today, there are more than 30000! One third of particle accelerators can be used in medical procedures, like radiotherapy, while the other half are used to ion implant semiconductor devices. Many particle accelerators can also be used to sterilize food. Although there are many small examples in everyday life of particle accelerators being used, most people think about large accelerators like CERN's Large Hadron Collider. Future applications will have many more applications, so MOOCs are needed to describe these techniques.
Three MOOCs are part of the NPAP series. They aim to share knowledge on particle accelerator technology with impacted areas. These courses were made possible by the Erasmus Plus Strategic Partnership funding from the European Commission, as well as the dedication of lecturers at the universities of Lund and Uppsala and Oslo, JyvA$.skylA$? and experts from European Spallation Source, (ESS) both located in Lund.
Many of these lectures will focus on the MAX IV Laboratory as well as ESS, which currently hosts the strongest synchrotron light source (and neutron source) in the world. The MAX IV Laboratory produces intense Xray beams by electrons first accelerated at almost the speed light. At ESS, protons will accelerate and produce intense neutron beams through a process known as spallation. These beams can be used to look at matter down to its atomic level. The ESS and MAX IV Laboratory form a European centre of excellence that brings together thousands of scientists to build tomorrow's world. Also, we take a close look at CERN's Large Hadron Collider in Geneva. The impact of this powerful machine on theoretical physics has been immense and it will be contributing to our understanding of the natural world for a long time.
Introduction to Particle Accelerators is our first course in the NPAP series. This course explains how particle accelerators can produce light with wavelengths as low as one Angstrom. The ESS facility creates a huge flux of neutrons through accelerating protons, and then let these smash into a disk made of tungsten. These modules give you the knowledge necessary to be able to comprehend other types of accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva (LHC). The LHC is described and an overview of elementary particle physics are provided. Then we will discuss some future concepts, such as plasma-driven accelerators.
Second MOOC is "Fundamentals of particle accelerator technology (NPAPMOOC). It offers four modules. These include: Radio Frequency System (RF) System of Accelerators, Magnet technology for accelerators; Beam Diagnostics and Basics of vacuum techniques. Third MOOC - Medical Applications of Particle Accelerators offers four modules: Radiotherapy, Introduction and Linear Electron Accelerators for Radiotherapy; Proton Therapy Part I and Proton Therapy Part II; and the production of radionuclides.
You can take the three MOOCs separately or together. Students who plan to complete all three MOOCs should take them in sequence.
Begin now and follow us as we journey through particle accelerators. You will be amazed at their impact on our lives, and society!
All the best!
The NPAP Team