Accelerator Applications Support Nuclear Science and Technology

Accelerators are machines that use high voltages to produce artificial radiation in the form of beams of energetic particles. They are more versatile and safer than radioactive sources because the energy can be varied, and when the accelerator is turned off, so is the radiation. Accelerators are used for diverse applications such as to treat cancer, analyse artwork and old artefacts, clean up waste effluent gases, produce computer chips and map the structure of proteins. Accelerator technology makes a valuable contribution to the technological progress of a country, which in turn can also contribute to a country's economic development.