Cockcroft Institute
The Cockcroft Institute exists to
provide the intellectual focus, educational infrastructure, and the
essential scientific and technological facilities for accelerator
science and technology research and development.
This will enable UK scientists and engineers to take a major
role in conception, design, construction, and operation of
accelerators for the foreseeable future advancing the scientific
frontier into uncharted domains and returning scientific rewards of
the highest order internationally. A secondary beneficiary will be
society, in all its aspects: economic, health, energy, security,
information, communication and novel materials.
The Institute is named after the Nobel prize-winner Sir John
Cockcroft FRS regarded as the pioneer of modern accelerator
research. It seeks to benefit society by stimulating collaboration
between three communities: academia, the national
laboratories of the STFC and industry.
Objectives
The Objectives of the Cockcroft Institute are to develop a major
international presence in research and development in accelerator
science and technology with four broad themes:
- Electron-positron colliders
- Proton and ion accelerators including neutrino beams
- Photon sources
- Neutron sources
In order to meet these objectives it has built up at Daresbury a
collection of leading edge facilities. It also draws upon
facilities and products provided by the stakeholder universities of
Lancaster, Liverpool and Manchester.
Among the facilities are:
- Microwave and Radiofrequency Laboratory
- Laser Optics Laboratory
- Surface Science Laboratory
- Synchrotron Radiation Source (SRS)
- Energy Recovery Linac Prototype (ERLP)
- Superconducting Radio-Frequency Laboratory (SRF)
- Mechanical and electrical engineering and IT facilities
- Access to the Nano Science facility and Photon Science Centre
at the University of Manchester
- Access to University of Liverpool's medical facilities
As international centre in the national context for accelerator
science it acts as the UK's lead project management resource for
any major accelerator science initiative bringing together large
teams on major projects with the aim of creating positive economic
and social impact.