IPAC’14, the 5th International Accelerator Conference, is taking place this week in Dresden, Germany. The conference, which rotates between Europe, America and Asia, provides the annual showcase for scientists and engineers working on all kinds of particle accelerators around the world.

The conference covers many different aspects of current developments in particle accelerators, from recent experience with operational machines to studies for new and innovative concepts. Topics range from the smallest to the largest machines, from the lowest to the highest energies – for example, from CERN’s ELENA project to the LHC – and also encompass ideas for future projects to explore frontiers in energy and intensity in the decades to come.

Much of the research and development focusses on accelerators to serve a wide community, beyond research in particle physics. Specialized machines provide beams of beams of X-rays, ultraviolet light or neutrons for studies in materials science and biology, for instance, while others are being developed for medical applications such as cancer therapy.

IPAC’14, which has been organized locally by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), has attracted some 1500 accelerator experts from around the world and runs from 15-20 June.