Particle accelerators are used in almost every field of physics from elementary particles to solid state physics. Accelerators are finding a variety of applications such as ion implantation and lithography in industry, medicine radiotherapy and food sterilization. The need and importance of accelerators, and its impact on the society need no elaboration.
As you are aware, that the Accelerator & Beam Physics and associated technologies are not yet part of the regular university curriculum in most parts of the world! The learning of such an important interdisciplinary science is done to a very large extent individually and through the very few Schools when & where available. This very curious scenario is exacerbated by the near total absence of Divisions of Accelerator & Beams in most of the Physical Societies all over the world.
It is interesting to note that in recent years, many very interesting and useful developments in Beam Physics have taken place in remote departments outside the accelerator laboratories, by physicists with a primary training in other areas of Physics. From these it is evident that they can collaborate with accelerator physicists and produce interesting and useful results in areas of beam dynamics, free electron lasers and several other topics. A symbolic event justifying the above statements is the last ICFA Advanced Beam Dynamics Workshop on Quantum Aspects of Beam Physics, held at Monterey, bringing together over a hundred physicists. A detailed report of this historic meeting is to be found in the ICFA Newsletter No. 16 April-98 and the numerous contributions in the proceeding (in press, Ed. Pisin Chen, World Scientific, Singapore, 1998). Such a workshop became relevant only recently. From such meetings it is evident that Beam Physics is growing rapidly in remote departments outside the big accelerator laboratories. We need more of such meetings to cater to the topics not yet addressed in the existing Meetings. To keep up with the growth of the beam physicists community, it is essential to have additional Meetings to accommodate the growing number of personnel and wider range of topics.
By introducing Beam Physics in the regular university curricula it is sure to attract more minds to tackle some of the open and very challenging problems, which are drawing a new attention with ever increasing demand for higher energies and luminosity and lower emittance beams with ever increasing particle species and saturation in the existing methods of particle acceleration. We need new results and revolutionary techniques for future machines.
Another point which I would like to bring to focus is the steady growth of Accelerator and Beam Physics Community in the developing world, who have little or no access to accelerators in their own regions. We need to enhance their participation in the existing Schools through more Fellowships, particularly for the travel. The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, ICTP, Trieste, Italy can provide an excellent venue to hold such Schools. ICTP in its long and very generous tradition has been doing so in many other areas of Physics and other sciences. This will take care of the participants from the developing countries, and also the wide range of topics of interest to the community world-wide, by bringing together physicists and accelerator personnel together. This will definitely compliment the existing prestigious Schools and the few efforts in the developing countries. Thus strengthening the community in more than one way!
For a complete and natural growth of any field it is essential to have a proper Forum. To facilitate the required growth of the Accelerators & Beam Physics Community we need, immediate inclusion of Accelerator & Beam Physics in regular University Curriculum on a global scale, more International and National Schools, creation of active Divisions of Accelerators/Beams in various Physical Societies, and new Forums in the form of Beam Physics Clubs/Societies. All these shall have a very significant role, through their Regular Courses, Periodic Schools, Newsletters, Fellowships and shall strengthen the Accelerator & Beam Physics community world-wide. This has been the case in various other areas of Physics, for a very long time! Why should beam physics make an exception?
It is noteworthy to see how the ICFA Beam Dynamics Panel has contributed to the accelerator & beam physics. The well-attended ICFA Beam Dynamics Workshops are one of the proofs of its big success. It would be worthwhile to hold Beam Physics Schools under the auspices of ICFA. Such Schools would be extremely useful, particularly to the beginners in the field. We can be sure that these Schools will be very successful like the ICFA Workshops. The widely circulated Newsletter is providing an excellent medium for communication & discussion. It can be further used for the creation of new Forums appealed in this Letter.
It is hoped that the decision-makers take notice of this appeal and do the needful without any further delay.
Sincerely yours,
Sameen Ahmed KHAN
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