David Robin, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
TODAY, September 12, 2011. Location is 3105 Etcheverry Hall; Cookies and Coffee served at 3:45.
At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) there is a long and distinguished history in the development of accelerator-based synchrotron light and ion beam cancer therapy (IBCT) facilities. LBNL built and commissioned the Advanced Light Source (ALS), the world’s first soft X-ray third generation light source in early 1990s, that is currently the world’s brightest source of soft X-rays. In addition to the ALS, extensive work is underway directed at the development of the next generation of Free Electron Lasers (FELs). With the success of the ALS and the consolidated FEL R&D activities, LBNL is well positioned to host a soft X-ray FEL of unprecedented brightness. In the area of ion beam cancer therapy, LBNL also has a distinguished history. The field of IBCT was pioneered at LBNL in the 1950s. In subsequent years, 4,000 patients were treated using protons or heavier ions such as carbon. Worldwide IBCT is currently a rapidly expanding field with nearly 100,000 patients having been treated. Presently at LBNL, R&D is underway to develop technologies to improve ion beam cancer therapy that might significantly improve the performance or reduce the cost of treatment. In this talk, Dr. Robin will briefly describe the present research activities, and future prospects in light sources and ion beam cancer therapy.
