UK news from CERN Issue 49: 26 August 2014

In this issue:  Imaging a moving target – accelerating an idea to improve outcomes for cancer patients  An international perspective – UK apprentices compare and contrast  Working out the options – it’s more than work experience for one A’ level student  Tomorrow’s World comes to CERN  Last chance to see Collider  Dates for the diary

Imaging a moving target The technique, phase space tomography, takes a series of one-dimensional profiles and Patients with lung and liver tumours could reconstructs a 2D picture. It is now used in benefit from a new project between CERN and CERN’s PS, Booster, Decelerator the University of Bath. Originally taking an idea and the Low Energy Ring (LEIR) to measure from the medical domain and applying it to precisely the very different longitudinal accelerator physics, Bath alumnus Steve characteristics of the beams in those machines. Hancock (CERN) is now reapplying the It’s not currently used in the LHC because the technique to medical imaging. proton bunches are too short, but there are plans to develop an optical version of the Steve’s ‘ bulb’ moment came in 1993 when technique. he was listening to a talk about medical imaging. He realised that protons in the Proton Steve says it’s a relatively simple idea, “It was Synchrotron had more in common with a human immediately obvious that the hybrid algorithm patient than you might think. Delivering combining tomography with particle tracking doses accurately to lung and liver worked really well – and that basically what I tumours is tricky because these organs are was doing was tomography of a non-rigid body.” constantly moving as the patient in- and He first presented the method at the 1998 exhales. Similarly, protons in an accelerator European Conference. beam swirl around rather like the effect of Realising that his innovation had potential, stirring cream in coffee, and accurate imaging Steve tried unsuccessfully to interest people that would enable fine-tuning of the beam is outside the field of accelerator science, “Maybe I challenging. was too early or just talking to the wrong audience.” However, the physics of this swirling motion (deformation) is well understood and there are The technique continued to be used at CERN, tracking models to simulate it. “I tweaked the but its wider potential remained untapped until simplest of iterative ART (Algebraic last year when Steve received an alumni Reconstruction Technique) algorithms to take newsletter from his old university, “There was an into account the rapid deformation that occurs article about Bath opening a new Engineering during a ‘scan’ of my ‘patient’, a bunch of Tomography Lab. So I got in touch.” protons circulating in a CERN accelerator,” explains Steve. Now the idea is to combine the methodology of Steve’s algorithm with the fantastic time resolution (up to 100Hz) of electrical impedance

Page 1 Written and edited by Stephanie Hills, UK Communications and Innovation Officer @ CERN [email protected] or Stephanie.hills@.ch tomography, the specialisation of Manuch converters for the LHC,” says Josh. “I’ve been Soleimani, the academic who leads the designing and organising an automated test rig. Engineering Tomography Lab at Bath. “He has It’s a very sophisticated system but surprisingly a very fast imaging system but the quality of the easy to use.” images is not great,” says Steve. “Between us, Manuch and I have an idea that needs to be tested.”

Funding from CERN’s Knowledge Transfer team has been matched by the university and the project was launched in July with two PhD students (supervised at Bath by Manuch); it’s the first time that the University of Bath has collaborated with CERN and the search is now on for more funding to extend the testing.

“If our idea works, the potential is enormous,” says Steve, “we’re not designing new hardware – this is essentially a software project that could have immediate benefit by improving existing Josh Preston and Henry Russell ‘in’ the LHC tunnel © S Hills technology in hospitals. Motion-compensated imaging will enable oncologists to deliver more Josh’s experience has given him some food for accurate radiotherapy treatments, and that thought, “We have a similar system at STFC but means better outcomes for patients.” we don’t use it as fully as we could.” He’s clearly keen to use his newfound knowledge when he Who can argue with that? gets back to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. An international perspective Henry has been working in the Beam STFC apprentices, Josh Preston and Henry Instrumentation workshop machining Russell have been on a three week work components for the LHC. “I think I could have experience placement at CERN. It’s been quite been a bit more productive if I’d been able to an eye-opener! speak better French – GCSE French doesn’t cover technical vocab – but it’s a friendly team About to go into the final year of their and we’ve managed to communicate; we’ve apprenticeships, Josh and Henry had the option drawn lots of pictures on post-it notes!” within their college course to arrange a work experience placement. After taking part in an “They have some nice ways of working at exchange visit to the Institut Laue Langevin and CERN”, says Josh, “and I think there are some European Facility in opportunities for us to suggest ways to improve Grenoble last year, they thought they would aim our work when we get back.” high for a second time. Alongside their time in the workshops, Josh and “We loved the challenge of working in a different Henry have also been encouraged to attend country; the similarities, the differences and the some of the lectures that have been part of the culture. We thought we’d try for CERN,” says summer student programme. Particular Henry. “But we really didn’t think it would highlights were lectures on the future particle happen!” adds Josh. accelerators; CLIC, the ILC and the . “I thought Ugo Amaldi’s They have spent their placements working in lecture about cancer therapy was fascinating,” CERN’s Beams Department. “My team is says Josh, “it was such a thorough explanation. working on the electrical controls for power It’s one of the highlights of the placement.” Page 2

Written and edited by Stephanie Hills, UK Communications and Innovation Officer @ CERN [email protected] or [email protected]

the Lab lecture most interesting because I For Henry, it was the opportunity to see CMS, “I understood it more than the others, and also the would love to see more of what lurks lecturer told many jokes throughout. underground at CERN!” Lunch soon crept up, so I went to meet James It has clearly been an inspiring few weeks and at Restaurant 2, on a borrowed CERN bike. I both apprentices would like to spend longer at met all his science and engineering lunch mates CERN. But what is in it for STFC? who came from all around the CERN site.

John Hill manages STFC’s apprentice After lunch, I spoke with a Czech computer programme, “Many of STFC’s science projects scientist, Jiri Kuncar. He was the first of many are major international collaborations so people who work at CERN that I spoke to during technicians, engineers and scientists working my stay. The general idea about talking to so together is a key element to their success. many people was to find out what they do at Exposing our apprentices to this international CERN, how they got there, what they enjoy environment early in their training gives them an about working there. Jiri and I spoke mostly opportunity to develop their teamwork skills and about how he had been educated in computer to appreciate the importance of communication science, so I learnt quite a lot about degree style between collaborating members.” computer science classes, which I found very interesting because one of my main fields of Working out the options interest is computer science. By Oliver Broomhall. work experience student from the JCB Academy in Staffordshire In the following days, talks with other people included conversations about programming and To give a little bit of an introduction, I am a sixth- development, university lifestyle, engineering form student studying science based A-levels in detectors and other parts of the LHC, hardware the UK. I asked my physics teacher for help testing and troubleshooting, physics, finding a placement that would help me decide mechanical engineering and other interesting what to study at university. Before I knew it, I topics. was on a plane heading towards Geneva; Electrical engineer, James Devine (CERN) I was surprised by the sheer number of different would be my work experience supervisor. nationalities that I had contact with; Russian, German, Polish, Spanish, French, Czech, to name a few. These people were all from different educational backgrounds; for example I met summer students that were only working at CERN for a few weeks, PhD students, Post- Doctorate researchers and full-time employees. The diverse range of nationalities meant that I also learnt briefly about the education systems in America and Germany, sports in Russia and the weather in France, which I also enjoyed.

Additionally, I received personal tours, mostly by James but also by the other people that I met. Oliver and ATLAS © O Broomhall These included the CERN Control Centre, clean

rooms, the data centre, and the ventilation On the first morning, I signed in, had my picture systems, but the best tour by far was of ATLAS. taken, and access card printed. I attended a Not only did I see the control room and the 3D series of 45 minute Summer Intern lectures video, but I also got a chance to go underground entitled; Cosmology, Astoparticle Physics, and to see at eye level where the protons collide. I Antimatter in the Lab. I found the Antimatter in

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Written and edited by Stephanie Hills, UK Communications and Innovation Officer @ CERN [email protected] or [email protected] was very grateful to James for arranging that for Horizon - in those days of mostly black- and- me. white sets. Judith Hann was there from almost Two weeks after visiting CERN I have been able as long as I remember; it was really great to to reflect on what I learnt and experienced; I meet her and to show her round ATLAS." have decided to study mathematics with computer science, motivated by the time I spent Alongside the current science and technology, talking with actual computer scientists and Judith also visited CERN’s own version of engineers. Visiting CERN rekindled my love for tomorrow’s world, the lab where the next computers and I will be spending at least three generation of superconducting magnets are years studying them at university! being developed.

Applying for work experience The Birmingham connection continued (quite Most of CERN’s work experience placements coincidentally) when alumni Andy Butterworth are for students in local schools. However, UK and Tim Smith were Judith’s guides to the students can apply for placements on the UK’s CERN Control Centre and Computing Centre. world-leading science facilities operated by STFC. Demand outstrips supply and the closing Speaking after the visit, Judith described her trip date for applications is 31 December 2014. to CERN as “fascinating, enjoyable, stimulating and slightly overwhelming… so much to be Tomorrow’s World comes to CERN impressed by, and to wonder at.”

If you’re working in science or engineering, the Last chance to see Collider chances are that you were a fan of Tomorrow’s World. The long-running BBC TV series If you haven’t seen the Collider exhibition at featured new developments in technology from MOSI in Manchester, you have just a month left 1965 - 2003 before it moves on to its first international location, Paris.

Why not go along and see how the Collider curators have captured the essence of CERN and the hunt for the Higgs boson. Entry is completely free for CERN pass holders so if you’ve got one, don’t forget to take it with you!

Collider closes on 28 September.

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Dave, Judith and ATLAS © S Hills Diary dates Former presenter Judith Hann recently visited CERN. Her guide for an underground visit to Collider in Manchester - until 28 September the ATLAS experiment was collaboration CERN Council – 15-19 September TEDxCERN – 24 September Spokesperson, Dave Charlton (Birmingham), "I th grew up with Tomorrow's World as one of just CERN’s 60 birthday – 29 September two regular science programmes on telly - with A world a particle in Liverpool - until 8 January

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Written and edited by Stephanie Hills, UK Communications and Innovation Officer @ CERN [email protected] or [email protected]