Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2009 APS April Meeting
Volume 54, Number 4
Saturday–Tuesday, May 2–5, 2009; Denver, Colorado
Session B6: Applications of Accelerators |
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Sponsoring Units: FPS DPB Chair: Pushpa Bhat, Fermi National Accelerator Facility, and Swapan Chattopadhyay, Cockcroft Institute Room: Governor's Square 16 |
Saturday, May 2, 2009 10:45AM - 11:21AM |
B6.00001: Neutron and Synchrotron Radiation Studies for Designer Materials, Sustainable Energy and Healthy Lives Invited Speaker: Probably the most prolific use of large accelerators today is in the creation of bright beams of x-ray photons or neutrons. The number of scientific users of such sources in the US alone is approaching 10,000. I will describe the some of the major applications of synchrotron and neutron radiation and their impact on society. If you have AIDS, need a better IPOD or a more efficient car, or want to clean up a superfund site, you are benefitting from these accelerators. The design of new materials is becoming more and more dependent on structural information from these sources. I will identify the trends in applications which are demanding new sources with greater capabilities. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, May 2, 2009 11:21AM - 11:57AM |
B6.00002: Medical Applications: Proton Radiotherapy Invited Speaker: Proton therapy is a highly advanced and precise form of radiation treatment for cancer. Due to the characteristic Bragg peak associated with ion energy deposition, proton therapy provides the radiation oncologist with an improved method of treatment localization within a patient, as compared with conventional radiation therapy using X-rays or electrons. Controlling disease and minimizing side effects are the twin aims of radiation treatment. Proton beams enhance the opportunity for both by facilitating maximal dose to tumor and minimal dose to surrounding tissue. In the United States, five proton radiotherapy centers currently treat cancer patients, with more in the construction phase. New facilities and enabling technologies abound. An overview of the treatment modality generally, as well as of the capabilities and research planned for the field and for the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute in particular, will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, May 2, 2009 11:57AM - 12:33PM |
B6.00003: Applications in Nuclear Energy Security Invited Speaker: A key roadblock to development of additional nuclear power capacity is a concern over management of nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is predominantly comprised of used fuel discharged from operating nuclear reactors. The roughly 100 operating US reactors currently produce about 20\% of the US electricity and will create about 87,000 tons of such discharged or ``spent'' fuel over the course of their lifetimes. The long-term radioactivity of the spent fuel drives the need for deep geologic storage that remains stable for millions of years. Nearly all issues related to risks to future generations arising from long-term disposal of such spent nuclear fuel is attributable to approximately the 1\% made up primarily of minor actinides. If we can reduce or eliminate this 1\% of the spent fuel, then within a few hundred years the toxic nature of the spent fuel drops below that of the natural uranium ore that was originally mined for nuclear fuel. The minor actinides can be efficiently eliminated through nuclear transmutation using as a driver fast-neutrons produced by a spallation process initiated with a high-energy proton beam. This presentation will cover the system design considerations and issues of an accelerator driven transmutation system. [Preview Abstract] |
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