Date/time
08/04/2014
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Venue
Cranfield University – Vincent Building Auditorium
Cranfield, Bedfordshire.
Event organiser
EPSRC Centre in Ultra Precision
Contact details
events@ultraprecision.org/01234 754132
The EPSRC Centre in Ultra Precision is hosting a Prestige Lecture by Dr Stephen Myers OBE FREng, Head of Medical Applications at CERN on Tuesday 8 April 2014 from 14.30-15.30 pm at Cranfield University.
The Engineering Needs for Particle Physics and the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHR)
Dr Stephen Myers OBE FREng of CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
Abstract
Today’s particle accelerators and detectors are among the most complicated and expensive scientific instruments ever built by mankind, and they exploit almost every aspect of today’s cutting edge engineering technologies. In many cases accelerator needs have been the driving force behind these new technologies; necessity being the mother of invention. The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the most recent and most powerful of these devices.
In this lecture an overview is given of some of the engineering requirements for construction and operation of modern day accelerators with particular reference to the LHC. The subject is quite enormous, so it will not possible in the limited time to go into any engineering detail, but rather give an overview of the range of multi-discipline engineering skills and technologies needed.
A short description of the steps to increase the performance of the LHC which allowed sufficient data to be accumulated for the discovery of the Higg’s boson will also be given.
Dr Stephen Myers OBE FREng was born in Belfast, N. Ireland and educated at the Queen’s University, where he received a First Class Honours Degree in Electrical and Electronic engineering. He then completed his Ph.D. at Queen’s.
He started at CERN as Engineer-in-Charge for the operation of the Intersecting Storage Rings Collider (ISR) before moving on to the Large Electron Positron (LEP). He took responsibility for the commissioning of the LEP, was in charge of the preparation for physics in the 1990’s, and was nominated Project Leader of the upgrade (LEP2) from 1996 until 2000.
In October 2008, Dr Myers was nominated Director of Accelerators and Technology, responsible for the operation and exploitation of the whole CERN accelerator complex, with particular emphasis on the LHC and for the development of new projects (CLIC etc.) and technologies. He directed the repair of the LHC after the serious accident in September 2008 and steered the operation of the collider in 2010, 2011, and 2012. On July 4, 2012 the collider had produced enough events to allow the two large LHC experiments (ATLAS and CMS) to discover the “Higgs-like” boson.
Dr Myers has been appointed the Head of Medical Applications at CERN, as of January 2014. He has been honoured with several awards, including honorary doctorates from the University of Geneva and the Queen’s University of Belfast. He was the recipient of the IOP Duddell Medal in 2003, and was awarded the 2010 International Particle Accelerator Achievement prize for a lifetime of outstanding work in the field. In 2012 he was joint recipient of the European Physical Society “EPS Edison Volta prize”, and more recently in June 2013 he was awarded an OBE for services to science and technology as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Full details on how to reach Cranfield campus can be found by following the link below. Please note: Visitors arriving by car will need to pass by Main Reception to obtain a car parking permit.
Directions to Cranfield University
