Accelerator Science

This equipment, which is hosted by Dalton Cumbrian Facility, is situated in Cumbria, not Manchester.

DCF houses two accelerators, a 5-MV tandem and a 2.5-MV Pelletron, configured to provide a range of ion irradiation and analysis capabilities across eight beamlines.

Ion beam irradiation allows rapid achievement of material damage levels accumulated during many years of in-service exposure and provides data on the effects of radiation under very specific conditions of temperature, radiation dose rate and radiation dose.

The set-up allows for tightly controlled in-situ interrogation of materials properties during irradiation, providing data to develop and validate predictive radiation effects models.

The ion beam facilities are used primarily for radiation damage studies of materials or radiation chemistry studies of processes that are of interest to the nuclear energy industry. However, the facilities can also be suitable for research in a variety of other areas, for example radiobiology and space missions.

Dual ion beam capability allows for the creation of damage effects (from heavy ion bombardment) whilst simultaneously maintaining a radiation rich field.

Facility booking process for Accelerators & Beamlines:

Calls for beamtime proposals are usually published in early April, August and December. We currently allocate slots on a 4 monthly basis (June to Sep, Oct to Jan, Feb to May).

If you would like your name added to the Accelerator Users list to be notified of calls for proposals, please contact [email protected] and request for your email address to be added.

Proposals are panel-assessed and for the best chance of a successful application we would expect you to contact us for an informal discussion prior to submitting a proposal.

Proposals should be submitted on our most up-to-date proposal form which is emailed out when we issue calls.

The following process applies:

1. User contacts Dalton Cumbrian Facility for informal discussion prior to proposal submission.
2. Experimental activity is outlined and agreed informally, subject to final confirmations.
3. User submits proposal form to [email protected] in response to a call.
4. Proposal undergoes technical evaluation at Dalton Cumbrian Facility.
5. Proposal undergoes scientific review and prioritisation.
6. Facility time is allocated, subject to availability.
7. Experimental activity is scheduled and confirmation email is issued to user.

For any informal enquiries or to speak to a Technical Specialist, please send us an e-mail on [email protected]