Applications of ILC Technology

As with any other large science and technology project, the ILC will provide new applications for the broader society.

Paul Grannis LCFOA Congressional meeting July 29, 2008

This talk based on 2008 report by Funding Agencies for Large Colliders (FALC) “Technology Benefits Deriving from the ILC ”

General contributions

Large scientific projects must be primarily motivated by the importance of the science questions addressed. The questions and their answers are often of broad interest to everyone – for example: The earth and planets circle the sun

Our biology is constructed from a 4 letter code The universe is expanding from a ‘big bang’ Any map can be colored with at most 4 colors Mass and energy are inter-convertible

Our language itself betrays the fascination with such ideas: “make a quantum leap”, “it fell into a black hole”, “entropy is winning” …

Basic science, like music and art, may be of little practical use, but they are essential to us as humans.

The path from fundamental discovery to widespread application is often tortuous. We typically don’t have a clue about which new results will pay off big-time. So any predictions for ILC technology spin-offs are for possibilities, not certainties.

Predicting spin-offs

“Heavier than air flying machines are impossible”, Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, 1895 "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value" Marshal Ferdinand Foch, professor of strategy, Ecole Supérieure de Guerre

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" – David Sarnoff's associates, in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." – Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

There is no doubt that there is a huge long-term payback to economic health from fundamental research.

Quantifying this reliably is very hard – estimates range from 25 to 75% of our GDP. But we know it has been large historically.

Economic value

Quantum mechanics spawned lasers, semiconductors & computers.

Nuclear physics : nuclear power, X-rays, MRI, medical diagnostics.

Electromagnetic laws brought power generators, motors, communications. etc. etc.

73% of papers cited in industrial patents were based on publicly financed research.

What is clear is that the fabric of our industrial economy is massively dependent on the fundamental science discoveries of the past, and this general relationship is a powerful argument for keeping the S&T enterprise healthy in future.

Past High Energy Physics impacts

1 $trillion

Particle accelerators were developed for particle research. Now they are widely-used tools for society.

HEP computing applications push the frontier; LHC experiments have data rates comparable to world’s public telecommunication bandwidth. HEP has advanced GRID computing; this led for example to the 30,000 mammogram data base accessible to all in Europe.

The World Wide Web was developed by and for particle physicists. Worldwide revenue is growing exponentially.

Category of Accelerator Number High Energy/Nuclear Research ~ 120

Synchrotron radiation ~ 50Medical/isotope production ~ 200Radiotherapy > 7500Biomedical research ~ 1000

Industrial processing/research >

1500

Ion implantation, surface mod. >

7000

ESTIMATED TOTAL ~17,500

Potential for ILC spin-offs

The ILC requires new transforming technologies:

Reduced cost, efficient, high power superconducting radiofrequency acceleration cavities

New intense sources of electrons and positrons with aligned spins

Nanometer control of accelerator elements over kilometer distances

High resolution, large area particle detectors for imaging collisions

Preparation of ultra-small, intense beam sizesEach has potential applications far from particle physics

ILC technologies potential

Free electron lasers for shipboard defense

SCRF linacs

A 30 MeV accelerator, 1 m long.

Free electron lasers for creating designer chemicals and drugs

Preparation of new radio-isotopes for medical diagnostics

High power proton linacs to drive safe, reduced waste Thorium-based reactors

laser scattering from an electron linac high intensity, tuneable monochromatic X-rays for medicine, biological imaging, pharmaceutical research, integrated circuits, nuclear waste characterization

compact proton and electron linacs for medical treatment

ILC technologies potentialElectron sources Intense spin-aligned electron sources could dramatically advance magnetic data storage technology (a $100B industry), and provide microscopes for magnetic materials

Particle detectors Large area particle detectors for medical imaging. Also use with electron linacs or natural radiation for rapid scanning of cargo containers

Submicron metrology Improved nano-manufacturing control; early seismic warning systems

Imaging ILC events

Imaging biological systems

Impact on other sciencesILC accelerator technology enables new light sources and free electron lasers for research on materials, environment, biology, which in turn give broad benefits to society. Recent examples: Test Avian flu virus specificity to humans Migration of water-borne mercury into food systems Materials for hydrogen storage cells High purity nanocrystal growing X-ray lithography for computer chips

SCRF linacs will form the heart of new Energy Recovery Linacs, promising higher brightness and energy efficiency – the next generation light sources and nuclear accelerators.

Complex fluids for new lubricants, detergents, time-release drugs New crystalline materials for ceramics, semiconductors Tools for metal fatigue, structural failure testing Polymers for new lightweight structures Protein structure studies, leading to engineered pharmaceuticals

Proton SCRF linacs for intense neutron spallation sources; examples:

Testing pipe welds with neutrons

Mapping DNA structure

Migration of peopleHigh energy physics captures the interest of young people, and gives them highly complex and technical problems to solve. They also learn communication skills within the large international experimental collaborations. These problem solving skills and technical expertise make them one of the most valuable ‘tech transfer’ products of all.

Some of the students at Fermilab who made the top quark discovery in 1995 – now in government, industry, national labs and universities

Summary

Gladstone, Chancellor of the Exchequer, asking Faraday about the discoveries of electric induction (which led to the electric power, radio, communications industries): “But after all, what use is it?”

Faraday: “I do not know sir, but soon you will be able to tax it.”

New physics research facilities like the ILC are justified in the first place by their scientific discovery potential.

History shows, that although we cannot predict with certainty, there will be transformative benefits to society.

The new ILC technologies have the potential to make large impacts on medical, pharmaceutical, electronics, defense, power, and chemical industries.

The people attracted to work at the ILC will form the backbone of our future industrial enterprise.