Welcome to the JAI

Adrian Oeftiger will join the John Adams Institute as an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford.

Adrian specialises in collective beam dynamics for high-energy and high-intensity hadron accelerators, following the goal to overcome today’s performance limitations and predict those of tomorrow. To this end, Adrian’s research combines dedicated experiments at large accelerator facilities with accurate numerical simulation modelling and high-performance computing techniques. His works identify the mechanisms behind resonances as well as beam instabilities, he proposes novel diagnostic techniques and develops strategies to mitigate these harmful collective effects.

Adrian received his Master’s degree in Theoretical Physics from the University of Bern in 2013 and his PhD in Accelerator Physics from EPFL in 2016. During his CERN doctoral student scholarship, Adrian completed his PhD thesis on “Space Charge Effects and Advanced Modelling for CERN Low Energy Machines”. In 2016, Adrian was awarded a CERN Senior Fellowship, during which he took responsibility on monitoring instabilities in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and developed novel diagnostics techniques such as quadrupole pick-ups for direct space charge measurements in the Proton Synchrotron and positive feedbacks to quantify Landau damping of head-tail modes in the LHC. In 2019, Adrian joined the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy-ion Research in a senior scientist role as Accelerator Physicist, where he led modelling and prediction efforts on dynamic aperture with space charge, detrimental betatron resonances and associated beam instabilities for the synchrotrons of the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR).

Adrian’s most recent research results demonstrate the potential of pulsed electron lenses to increase the maximum tolerable bunch intensity by a factor of two. In the new role at JAI, Adrian will take a lead on tackling challenges of the LHC High Luminosity upgrade in close collaboration with CERN and spearhead efforts to push for high-intensity proton beams in the future ISIS-II facility in close collaboration with the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

JAI Director Professor Phil Burrows  commented:

We warmly welcome Adrian and his family to Oxford! The JAI will be greatly strengthened with Adrian's expertise in hadron-beam dynamics. We look forward to working with him on advancing the UK's hadron-accelerator programme, not least via our support for the High-Luminosity Large hadron Collider at CERN as well as for ISIS and its proposed upgrade at the STFC Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory.

Adrian Oeftiger