Revolutionary Miniature Particle Accelerator Unleashes Limitless Potential

1 min read
Source: Livescience.com
Revolutionary Miniature Particle Accelerator Unleashes Limitless Potential
Photo: Livescience.com
TL;DR

Scientists have successfully fired up the world's smallest particle accelerator, known as a nanophotonic electron accelerator (NEA). The NEA, which is around the size of a small coin, consists of a microchip housing a vacuum tube made up of thousands of individual pillars. By firing mini laser beams at these pillars, researchers can accelerate electrons. In a recent study, the NEA increased the energy of electrons by around 43%. While the NEA's energy levels are much lower than those of larger particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), its small size makes it suitable for potential medical applications, such as targeted radiotherapy.

Share this article

Want the full story? Read the original reporting

Read on Livescience.com