What could smaller particle accelerators look like in the future? SLAC scientists are working on innovations that could give more researchers access to accelerator science.

Leora Dresselhaus-Marais, Claudio Emma,  Bernhard Mistlberger and Johanna Nelson Weker will pursue cutting-edge research into decarbonizing steel production, theoretical physics, generating more intense particle beams, and improving X-ray microscopes.

It can help operators optimize the performance of X-ray lasers, electron microscopes, medical accelerators and other devices that depend on high-quality beams.

FACET-II will pave the way for a future generation of particle colliders and powerful light sources, opening avenues in high-energy physics, medicine, and materials, biological and energy science.

At SLAC’s FACET facility, researchers have produced an intense electron beam by 'sneaking’ electrons into plasma, demonstrating a method that could be used in future compact discovery machines that explore the subatomic world.

Particle accelerators are some of the most complicated machines in science.

Scientists around the world are testing ways to further boost the power of particle accelerators while drastically shrinking their size.

SLAC Director Chi-Chang Kao spoke to the Stanford University Faculty Senate at its Feb. 21 meeting.