Particle Accelerators and Radiation Research

Radiation Facts

Particle accelerators produce ionizing radiation, such as x-rays or neutrons while they are operating.
Particle accelerators can be used to make radioactive materials for use in research, technology and medicine.

A particle accelerator is a special machine that speeds up charged particles and channels them into a beam. When used in research, the beam hits the target and scientists gather information about atoms, molecules, and the laws of physics. In addition to research, accelerators are used for commercial purposes like medicine, manufacturing, and food safety. Learn more about Food Irradiation.

On this page:

About Particle Accelerators and Radiation Research
What you can do
Where to learn more

About Particle Accelerators and Radiation Research

Particle Accelerators Image — Fermilab, located 40 miles west of Chicago, is home to the Tevatron. The Tevatron was the second most powerful particle accelerator in the world before it was shut down in 2011.
Source: Fermilab

Have you ever heard of atom smashers? Certain particle accelerators, called colliders, are special machines that can “smash” atoms into pieces using charged particles like protons or electrons. First, the accelerator uses electricity to “push” the charged particles along a path, making them go faster and faster. The charged particles can go almost as fast as the speed of light. Then, the accelerator uses magnets to steer the particles at top speed into a target. When the fast-moving particles hit the target, the atoms in the target split apart. Scientists study the pieces to learn what makes up an atom and how it is held together.

Particle accelerators also can be used to create radioactive material by shooting charged particles at atoms to change them into different, unstable atoms. The radioactive material produced can be used for research, medicine, or other applications.

Other Particle Accelerator Uses

Particle Accelerators Neutron Science at Oak Ridge Image — Oak Ridge National Laboratory, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is home to the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). The SNS uses a linear particle accelerator to provide the most intense pulsed neutron beams in the world for scientific research.
Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

While some particle accelerators are used for research, most are used for other purposes. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), more than 30,000 accelerators are in use around the world. Of these, more than 97% are used for commercial purposes, such as:

Manufacturing semiconductors, a component of computer chips
Medical imaging and cancer treatment (Learn more about Radiation Therapy)
Sterilizing medical equipment and food products (Learn more about Food Irradiation)
Making plastics and ceramics
Radioisotope production

Particle accelerators come in a variety of sizes. Medical linear accelerators can fit inside a hospital room. Alternately, the largest particle accelerator in world, the Large Hadron Collider at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland, is more than 16 miles in circumference!

Image of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Particle Accelerators — The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest and most powerful particle collider. Located beneath the France-Switzerland border, its tunnel is over 16 miles in circumference.
Source: CERN

Particle accelerators are built and operated with safety in mind. Particle accelerators can pose hazards; they emit ionizing radiation while they are operating and can produce radioactive waste. However, regulations and good safety practices ensure that workers and the public are protected when particle accelerators are running.

What You Can Do

Obey safety instructions. This is especially important if you are near a particle accelerator.

Where to Learn More

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

The NRC regulates the operation of particle accelerators and nuclear material, including radioactive material created by particle accelerators. A license from the NRC or an agreement state is required to own or operate a particle accelerator.

Regulation of Radioactive Materials
This webpage discusses the regulation of radioactive materials and lists the government organizations involved in licensing and regulating these materials.

The States

Each state has a radiation program that regulates the use of radioactive materials. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has agreements with more than half the states (Agreement States) that gives them the authority to regulate radioactive material produced from particle accelerators. Agreement States inspect facilities to make sure the staff is properly trained and that equipment is operating safely. In many cases, states have agreements with the NRC and the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to run particle accelerators, and to ensure the safety of operators and facility employees.

State Radiation Protection Programs
The Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD)
This webpage provides links and contact information for each state's Radiation Control Program office.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

OSHA sets rules and guidance to protect workers who operate particle accelerators and handle any radioactive materials produced by particle accelerators.

Special Purpose Particle Accelerators (pdf)
This webpage provides an overview of particle accelerators and describes occupational safety and health hazards.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The FDA regulates the manufacture and use of electronic products that emit radiation, including particle accelerators. Accelerators used for cancer treatment also must meet the FDA rules for medical equipment.

Radiation-emitting Products
This webpage describes a variety of products that emit radiation.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

The IAEA deals with the application of research accelerators. Only a few hundred accelerators are dedicated purely for scientific research, although the knowledge and technological developments gained from research accelerators often drive the development of new applications.

Background on Accelerators
This webpage discusses the history of particle accelerators and how they work.

European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN)

Physicists and engineers at CERN are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. They use the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter – the fundamental particles.

About CERN
This website provides information about the particle accelerators and research taking place at CERN.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Fermilab

Physicists from all over the globe come to Fermilab to conduct particle physics experiments Fermilab collects and analyzes the data from those experiments with powerful detectors and computers.

The Tevatron: 28 years of discovery and innovation
This webpage describes how Fermilab's Tevatron particle accelerators operate.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NCI is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research and training.

Radiation Therapy for Cancer: Questions and Answers
This webpage provides answers to questions regarding the use of radiation to treat cancer.