This is the first half of a series. The format in Michaelmas Term 2024 is 24 one-hour lectures supplemented by six two-hour Tutorials. The course includes a basic grounding in particle accelerators (transverse and longitudinal dynamics, beam imperfections, RF acceleration, beam diagnostics & instrumentation, and synchrotron radiation) as well as in plasma physics and lasers to prepare students for the development of laser-driven devices for particle acceleration.

The aim of the tutorials is to show the students how to use standard simulation and design software tools which calculate important design features of an accelerator. Specialists in the fields of machine lattice, cavities and magnets will lead the classes. At the end of each class students should be able to run simple data input sets for each program.

The slides and other resources from each lecture in Michaelmas 2024 can be found on the course Indico page.

In Term II (Hilary Term 2025), topics which will be covered in the lectures are: magnet design, non-linear dynamics, space-charge effects, beam-beam effects, linear colliders & free-electron lasers, beamlines for fixed-target experiments, cyclotrons for various applications, radiobiology & accelerator science applications, vacuum & surface science, injection, transfer lines & extraction, and particle sources.

The lectures will be supplemented by weekly tutorials that will apply the skills learned in the first term to prepare the Student Design Project for the study of a new accelerator. Participating students will hand in draft chapters of different parts of a design report for marking at each of the tutorials.

The slides and other resources from each lecture in Hilary 2025 can be found on the course Indico page.