Two new videos produced recently for the Royal Institution that take you inside the ISIS Neutron and Muon Facility in Oxfordshire. This is a scientific research facility that uses a high-energy proton accelerator to generate neutrons which are then used by visiting scientists to research the structure and properties of materials.
Find out about how they power the facility and an example of the cutting edge research taking place in the videos below!
Proteins and Particles
What can a particle accelerator teach us about biology? Dr Sylvia McLain explains her research into one of the most fundamental questions of life: how water is involved protein folding. Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe Watch our film about the ISIS Neutron Source in our video on powering a particle accelerator: https://youtu.be/-F9EqYLQKYI?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZx0mVe9wGxg5kyKdofRJJ7m And find out how accelerators actually trap particles: https://youtu.be/LR_aNOcnH0Q?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZx0mVe9wGxg5kyKdofRJJ7m Water's role in sustaining life is well known.
How to Power a Particle Accelerator
How do you power a particle accelerator firing beams of protons 50 times a second into a heavy metal target? The ISIS neutron and muon source provides a near constant stream of particles for a huge range of research uses. Take a look at what it takes to keep a decades-old particle accelerator running.