Centre of excellence in the UK for advanced and novel accelerator technology
History
History
The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science (JAI) was created in October 2004 in response to an initiative by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) and the Council for the Central Laboratory for the Research Councils (CCLRC) to foster accelerator research and development (R&D) in the universities. PPARC and the CCLRC have since merged into the Science and Technology Research Council (STFC).
The JAI is physically located in the Denys Wilkinson Building (part of the Physics Department) at Oxford, in the Wilson Building (part of the Physics Department) at Royal Holloway and in the Blackett Laboratory building of Imperial College.
The Cockcroft Institute, a similar joint venture between the Universities of Lancaster, Liverpool and Manchester based at the Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire, was created at the same time.
The genesis of the UK accelerator centres was an initiative in 1999 to rejuvenate accelerator R&D in the UK. Two programmes formed the core of the original programme of the Institute - one for a future Linear Electron-Positron Collider and the other for a possible Neutrino Factory. Since then, research has expanded considerably, with advanced light sources, plasma-driven accelerators and accelerators for medical applications now among the topics studied. A key strength of the Institute lies in advanced beam instrumentation and diagnostics that enable accelerator techniques and plasma acceleration.
The JAI was proposed initially by Professor Brian Foster (Oxford) and Professor Mike Green (Royal Holloway), with Brian appointed as the interim Director. In 2005, Professor Ken Peach was appointed Director and Professor Grahame Blair was appointed Deputy Director. In August 2010, Professor Andrei Seryi succeeded Ken Peach as Director. After a successful period in charge of the JAI, Professor Seryi was succeeded by the current director, Professor Philip Burrows of Oxford University.
