WARRINGTON’S STFC Daresbury Laboratory is organising a global conference showcasing recent and future scientific developments in the field of free electron lasers.
The event will be hosted by the Science and Technology Facilities Council at Liverpool’s BT Conference Centre from August 23-28.
It is expected to attract around 260 specialists in this area of science from 28 countries.
Light is one of the most important investigative tools for science, and free electron lasers (FELs) generate the most intense source of light currently available to scientists for their experiments.
FELs can be used to help better understand the fundamental processes of life itself as scientists can study chemical reactions in real time, examine how catalysts behave, and increase their understanding of biological processes.
This could pave the way for significant advancements in fields such as space, healthcare and sustainable energy.
The conference will host a combination of themed sessions and workshops focusing on recent breakthroughs, exciting new developments and the way forward for FEL science from across the world and demonstrate how they are already being used to benefit society.
FEL light is already being used by doctors to kill sebaceous glands – the cause of pimples – without burning the skin, and it is thought that laser treatment could help people with severe acne avoid permanent scarring without taking existing forms of medication which can have significant side effects.
As part of the week delegates will get the chance to visit the Daresbury Laboratory to see for themselves the world-class science taking place there. As part of their trip they will see the Laboratory’s prototype for the next generation of accelerator-based light sources ALICE (Accelerators and Lasers in Combined Experiments), where the UK’s first operational FEL will be installed later this year.
Mike Poole, STFC’s Director of its Accelerator Science and Technology Centre and co-chairman of the conference said: “We are delighted to be hosting this important conference. This event is a highlight in the calendar for the FEL community and gives scientists from across the world the chance to come together to discuss progress and new ideas on the physics and technology of this fast-evolving area of science.”
More information is available at http://fel09.dl.ac.uk/
