# Physicists Just Invented a New Particle Accelerator! Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2XWwIJ6Ilg Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/v2XWwIJ6Ilg Generated: 2025-07-21T22:35:29.511+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Physicists have proposed a new "micronozzle acceleration" (MNA) method using ultra-intense lasers to accelerate protons over millimeters, achieving energies of nearly 1 GeV in computer simulations, a significant reduction in acceleration distance compared to traditional large hadron colliders like the LHC, which require hundreds of meters for similar energy gains. **Key Points:** - A new "micronozzle acceleration" (MNA) method has been proposed to accelerate protons using ultra-intense lasers. - This method achieves proton acceleration over distances of mere millimeters, unlike traditional magnet-based accelerators that require hundreds of meters. - Computer simulations show MNA can accelerate protons to nearly 1 Giga-electron-volt (GeV) energy. - While promising for its compact size, MNA requires multi-petawatt lasers, which are large (10-20 meters) and expensive. - The "excellent beam quality" claimed for MNA is relative to previous laser-based proton acceleration attempts, not comparable to the superior focus (<1°) and energy spread (<1%) of Wakefield accelerated electron beams. - Current proton accelerators, used for applications like cancer treatment, are prohibitively large and costly for widespread use. - The ultimate goal for particle accelerators is to reach energies exceeding 100,000,000 TeV to test fundamental laws of nature. ![Screenshot at 1:51: Diagram illustrating the micronozzle acceleration process with an intense laser pulse, hydrogen rod, hot electron cloud, and accelerated protons.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/v2XWwIJ6Ilg/00-01-51.png) **Context:** Particle accelerators, like CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC), are crucial for probing fundamental physics by accelerating particles to high energies and colliding them. However, these machines are enormous, with proposed future colliders like the FCC reaching 90 km in circumference and costing tens of billions of dollars, making them economically unsustainable for broader applications. This has driven research into more compact acceleration methods, such as Wakefield acceleration for electrons, and now, the newly proposed micronozzle acceleration for protons. ## Detailed Analysis Physicists have introduced a novel "micronozzle acceleration" (MNA) scheme that utilizes ultra-intense lasers to accelerate protons over extremely short distances, specifically millimeters, in contrast to the hundreds of meters required by conventional magnet-based particle accelerators like the LHC. This new method, detailed in a "Scientific Reports" paper by Murakami et al., involves placing a micron-sized hydrogen rod inside a hollow metallic micronozzle within a vacuum chamber. An intense laser pulse, with a power of several petawatts, is then directed at the nozzle. This laser strips electrons from the nozzle material, creating a cloud of moving electrons. These electrons subsequently hit the hydrogen rod, ejecting protons. Crucially, the curved design of the nozzle's outgoing side becomes positively charged due to electron stripping, creating an electric field that both focuses and accelerates the protons. While this method has only been demonstrated through computer simulations, these simulations indicate that protons can achieve energies of nearly 1 Giga-electron-volt (GeV). This energy level is comparable to the LHC's pre-accelerator (PS), which is approximately 100 meters in diameter, highlighting the potential for significant size reduction. However, the multi-petawatt lasers required for MNA are themselves large (typically 10-20 meters long) and expensive. Furthermore, despite initial claims of "excellent beam quality," the simulated proton beams exhibit a wide focus angle of about 16 degrees and an energy spread of roughly 50%, which is considerably less precise than the sub-1-degree focus and sub-1% energy spread achieved by Wakefield accelerated electron beams. The "excellent" claim is relative to prior, less successful laser-based proton acceleration attempts. The development of more compact and cost-effective proton accelerators is vital for various applications beyond fundamental physics research, such as targeted cancer treatment, where current large-scale facilities limit widespread accessibility. The ultimate goal for particle physics remains to develop accelerators capable of reaching energies far exceeding the LHC's collision energy (e.g., 100,000,000 TeV) to explore new physics and test fundamental laws of nature. ### Traditional Particle Accelerators - Decades of increasing size and cost for colliders like CERN's LHC, with the proposed FCC being 90km in circumference and costing $40 billion - High energies are required to probe short distances, making large colliders essential for fundamental physics research - The immense scale and cost of these facilities are becoming economically unsustainable. ### Wakefield Acceleration (for electrons) - A laser shoots at a gas (e.g., rubidium) to displace charges and create a plasma - The plasma travels at high speed, pulling electrons behind it, successfully accelerating them up to 5 GeV over 1 cm - This method is promising for electrons but protons are too heavy for effective acceleration. ### Micronozzle Acceleration (MNA) for Protons - A metallic funnel (nozzle) with a hydrogen rod is placed in a vacuum chamber - An intense laser pulse (several petawatts) hits the nozzle, ripping electrons off the material - This creates a hot electron cloud that hits the hydrogen rod, kicking out protons - The curved nozzle design creates a positively charged inner side, generating an electric field that both focuses and accelerates the protons. ### MNA Simulation Results & Limitations - Computer simulations show protons reaching almost 1 GeV in energy over a few millimeters - This energy is comparable to CERN's PS pre-accelerator (1 GeV, 100m diameter), indicating significant size reduction for the acceleration stage - MNA requires multi-petawatt lasers, which are large (10-20 meters) and expensive, limiting overall compactness and cost-effectiveness. ### Beam Quality Comparison - Wakefield accelerated electron beams achieve excellent focus (<1°) and energy spread (<1%) - Micronozzle simulated proton beams have a wider focus (16°) and higher energy spread (50%), which is not considered "excellent" by particle physicists - The "excellent beam quality" claim for MNA is relative to previous, less effective laser-based proton acceleration attempts. ### Applications of Proton Beams - Proton beams are used for cancer treatment due to their ability to deposit energy in tissue more precisely than X-rays - They can also be used to treat or probe materials - The current size and cost of proton accelerators hinder their broad application in fields like medicine. ### Future of Particle Accelerators - The ultimate goal is to develop particle accelerators that can exceed the collision energy of the LHC (100,000,000 TeV) - Such high-energy accelerators are needed to test fundamental laws of nature, discover new phenomena, and advance theoretical physics. ![Screenshot at 0:00: A woman speaking in front of a purple background with a world map graphic, with a diagram of the micronozzle acceleration process overlaid.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/v2XWwIJ6Ilg/00-00-00.png) ![Screenshot at 0:30: A long, blue and silver particle accelerator tunnel with a bright blue beam of light traveling through it.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/v2XWwIJ6Ilg/00-00-30.png) ![Screenshot at 0:43: A cutaway diagram of a large, complex particle detector, showing internal components and particle collision tracks.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/v2XWwIJ6Ilg/00-00-43.png) ![Screenshot at 0:57: A 3D topographical map of the Geneva region, with a cutaway showing the underground rings of the LHC and the proposed FCC, indicating their depths and circumference.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/v2XWwIJ6Ilg/00-00-57.png) ![Screenshot at 1:17: An animated diagram illustrating Wakefield acceleration, showing a laser pulse interacting with rubidium gas to accelerate electrons.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/v2XWwIJ6Ilg/00-01-17.png) ![Screenshot at 2:24: A grid of simulation results showing the laser pulse interacting with the nozzle and the resulting electron and proton distributions over time.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/v2XWwIJ6Ilg/00-02-24.png) ![Screenshot at 3:01: A woman speaking with a graph overlaid showing proton energy distribution for different acceleration methods, with a red arrow pointing to the MNA peak near 800 MeV.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/v2XWwIJ6Ilg/00-03-01.png) ![Screenshot at 3:33: A woman speaking with a text overlay "1.21 PetaWatts" and a reaction image of Doc Brown from Back to the Future saying "Great Scott."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/v2XWwIJ6Ilg/00-03-33.png) ![Screenshot at 4:55: An animated diagram showing the layout of a large-scale proton therapy facility, including the accelerator and treatment rooms.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/v2XWwIJ6Ilg/00-04-55.png) ![Screenshot at 5:45: A collection of science-themed items from the "Curiosity Box" subscription, including a book, a t-shirt, and various gadgets, displayed on a black leather chair.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/v2XWwIJ6Ilg/00-05-45.png)