AWAKE sows seeds of controlled particle acceleration using plasma wakefields

From the tunnel that hosted the now-retired CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso (CNGS) facility, AWAKE (Advanced Wakefield Experiment) is looking to revolutionize the field of particle acceleration. The 23-institute-strong collaboration aims to introduce a viable and more efficient alternative to traditional radiofrequency acceleration--with charged particles (in this case, electrons) "surfing" on the waves of a plasma field (or "wakefield") generated by a short, intense proton bunch fired through the ...