What can VELA provide? 

• Ultra short electron pulses wdths down to less than 100 femtoseconds
  
• Ultra high beam position and timing stability
• Unique ability to precisely tailor the electron beam, experimental configuration and shielding to match your requirements
• Cutting edge beam diagnostics
  

Benefit

• Beam tuning and flexibility not available anywhere else
  
• Unique opportunity to accurately probe samples, processes or technology in dynamic new regimes
  
• Excellent stability, maximising data accuracy, resolution and reproducibility
  
• No local shielding required
  
• Highly flexible working models, including:
  
• 'Pay as you go' beamtime-only
• STFC staff-assisted beamtime, data collection and analysis
• Collaborative working with academic and industrial partners
• Rental of radiation enclosures.
• Access to infrastructure and expertise of the National Laboratories.
  

Usage modes and application areas

• Direct usage of the electron beam for sterilisation, modification of polymer rheology etc.
  
• Conversion to photons via targets for medical applications and security imaging
  
• Development of accelerator components such as RF structures and magnet design
  
• Technology development of related subsystems e.g. electron and photon beam diagnostics/optics, femtosecond synchronisation
  
• Usae of radiation shielded area with no beam for example source and shielding verification
  

Potential application areas include:

Medical

• Single and multiple-use equipment sterilisation
  
• Radio- and hadron-therapy technology development
  
• Radioactive isotope production
  

Environment

• Purification of flue gases and combustion products
  
• Waste water treatment
  
• Groundwater purification
  

Security

• Large-volume cargo scanning
  
• Personnel scanning
  
• Biochemical and radioactive threat detection
  

Industrial Processing

• Food sterilisation
  
• Polymer cross-linking
  
• Rheological modification
  

Technology Development​

• Linear accelerators
  
• RF sources
  
• Electron beam diagnostics
  
• Femtosecond laser timing and synchronisation
  
• Magnet systems
  
• X-ray detectors
  
• Laser drive systems
  

Specifications

• Beam energy: ​4.0 – 5.5 MeV
  
• Bunch charge: 10 – 250 pC
  
• Bunch length (s t,rms): 80 – 3 ps
  
• Normalised emittance: 0.1 – 2.0 mm
  
• Beam size (s x,y,rms): 0.1 – 3.5 mm
  
• Energy spread (s e,rms): 0.1 – 5 %
  
• Bunch repetition rate: 1 – 10 Hz
  

​NOTE: Not all of the above beam parameters can be achieved simultaneously.​​​

Contact

F​or further information please email AMICI@stfc.ac.uk​