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.

These are capable of producing a wide range of ion species. The 5-MV tandem can accelerate proton and alpha beams to energies up to 10-MeV and 15-MeV respectively. It can also access a wide range of heavier ion species, including - but not restricted to - carbon, oxygen, most 3d-metals, tungsten and gold. The 2.5-MV accelerator principally delivers proton or alpha beams, with other noble gas beams available on request. 

Available ion currents is dependant on ion species, but can be as high as 100-μA for protons. Lower currents (down to ~1-nA) can also be provided dependant on scientific need.

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. Slots are allocated on a four-monthly basis (June to September, October to January, February 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 via the MS Forms link sent out when we issue the calls.

The following process applies:
1. Contact DCF for an informal discussion before submitting a proposal.
2. Outline and agree on experimental activity informally, pending final confirmation.
3. Submit the proposal via the MS Forms link sent via e-mail, in response to a call.
4. Proposal undergoes technical evaluation at DCF.
5. Proposal undergoes scientific review and prioritisation. All potential users will also be expected to review proposals.
6. Facility time is allocated based on availability.
7. Experimental activity is scheduled, and confirmation is sent to the user.

Note: We require at least two weeks' notice to produce letters of support for grant applications. 

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