Applications of Particle Physics in Other Fields of Science and Industry

Brennan Keen

When most people think of particle physics, they dont think of all of the other
applications go with it. Most believe that it is a useless field, and that there are no applications.
However, the uses of particle physics range from the medical field to the computing industry.
Each generation of particle detectors and accelerators unlocks a new level of potential for
discovery. In 1930, Lawrence A. Berkeley built the first handheld cyclotron, which he used in
1938 to treat his sick mother with [1]. Thus began the long history of practical applications for
the particle sciences. The uses of the particle physics field in medicine is extensive.
To begin, magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is used by doctors in diagnosis. The
technology involves acceleration of protons to the highest energy levels possible and firing them
through the body. This results in super high quality images of the human body. Many patients
feel that this technology is dangerous because they believe that they are receiving doses of
radiation. This is completely untrue, because the technology, as is stated in the name, relies on
superconductive magnets to accelerate protons through the body, which is known to have no
adverse effects on the body. Due to the nature of MRIs, they are extremely useful in examining
all of the tissues and components of the body, and providing high quality images. This helps the
doctors in the diagnosis of many diseases. The images is produces can be reproduced digitally,
and can be loaded onto discs or other storage devices [2]. MRIs are often used rather that x-rays
due to their non-damaging rays and non-existent health risks.
The technologies used in particle accelerators are also used in the world of cancer
therapy, in the form of x-rays, or by accelerating protons, neutrons, or heavy ions in the diagnosis
or treatment of cancer. These specific methods are unique to x-ray methods because of the
different types of cancer they specialize in treating. For example, proton therapy promotes better

therapeutic health during procedures than x-rays, and neutron beams are particularly useful in the
treatment of larger tumors in the body.
Neutron therapy is used in special circumstances only, such as in cases where radiation
has no effect on the tumor and the tumor is inoperable. Primarily, patients will be treated with xray treatments or electron beams first, which are widely used in the medical field and readily
available at many institutions. Neutron therapy, however, is much more powerful and expensive,
and is only possessed at a few higher level treatment centers. This technology can be used in
many fewer meetings compared to other methods. Through this treatment, many patients only
take 10 to 12 sessions to complete a treatment cycle, while other methods may take as many as
30 to 40 sessions [3].
A second use to this technology is in the homeland security field, and more specifically,
the field of nuclear proliferation. Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons and
other nuclear materials to non-nuclear states as defined by the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.
In nuclear reactors, a buildup of plutonium occurs as the uranium fuel is used and decay of
radioactive material takes place. The emission characteristics of plutonium differ greatly from
the characteristics of uranium. The emission of anti-neutrinos is the main difference in the
emission styles of the two elements. A specifically made detector possesses the ability to detect
the content of the fuel and to make sure that no tampering of the fuel has occurred [4]. This is a
real threat to our security because of the potential of a nuclear meltdown if the wrong fuel is used
in the reactors, which can cause a large area to receive doses of radiation, leaving the area
uninhabitable to most life forms, similar to the situation in Chernobyl, where a nuclear reactor
plant exploded and released radioactive particles over a large area in eastern Europe and the then

USSR. It is estimated that the area directly around the reactor will not be safe for human life for
about 20,000 years following the disaster.
Technologies initially developed for use in particle physics have found other uses in other
areas. These areas include power transmission and biomedicine. Companies that develop these
materials are assisting the world in moving on the fast track to becoming a more advanced
society. The research into these technologies is often causing side discoveries to be made which
assists development in other fields of science and industry.
In many of todays power lines, copper wire is used, which was often thought to be the
most cost efficient and energy efficient wire available for transporting energy over distances. In
more densely populated areas such as cities, these cables are nearing capacity, and will most
likely need to be upgraded in the coming years or decades. The research into superconductive
materials for use in electromagnets has had an impact on the world of energy transfer. These
materials, when made into wires, boast a much lower energy loss over distance while also
providing a larger capacity for the advancement of power lines and downsizing of large, bulky
power lines into sleeker designs which are also more energy efficient [5].
The technology of magnetic levitation is certainly an exciting one, where objects in
interest are levitated using only magnetic fields. Superconductors are largely important in this
technology, providing a way for items to be levitated, in this case the objects being trains.
Magnetic fields are actively produced by superconductors. If a magnet is brought near a
superconductor, it is repelled because an induced current in the wire will create a magnetic field
which is a mirror image of the magnetic field produced by the magnet. This effectively repels the
magnet. This property can be used in many ways, including magnetic levitation. If a magnet is
placed above a superconductor, the object will levitate, because the repulsive magnetic force will

be in equilibrium with the attractive force of gravity [6]. This advancement is particularly useful
in the transportation field when one looks at trains. Since the 1890s few advancements have
been made in the transportation field of trains. The top speed of these trains has stayed the same,
and the trains only seem to be more efficient than previous ones. Magnetic levitation provides a
way for trains to be propelled in a different manner. Since trains have come into existence, they
required wheels and rails in order to keep the train on track. Maglev trains rid the train of those
burdens and with it eliminate the friction caused by those components. Instead, the train has
magnets which wrap around the rails, with space in between the two, which both levitates the
train and keeps it guided along its path. This is called the Electromagnetic Suspension.
Electrodynamic Suspension is the force which levitates the train above the guiderails and allows
the train to be propelled forwards [7]. The elimination of friction from Maglev trains allows for
them to travel at impressive speeds upwards of 360 miles per hour. Advancements could be made
to improve both the efficiency and speed. For example, building a tube around the train and
containing it in a vacuum could eliminate air resistance from the equation and allow for speeds in
excess of 600 miles per hour.
In the biomedical field, technologies are used to discover the structure of proteins that are
being studied. Advancements in this field can assist in understanding biological processes and
treating diseases. In determining a proteins structure, researcher direct a beam of light from a
synchrotron though a protein that has been frozen into a crystalline structure. The beam of light
scatters through the crystal, and from the pattern detected in the output of the crystal, computers
can determine the position of every atom in that protein and can create a 3-D image of the
protein. Increasing our understanding of these molecules allows us to create more effective drugs

for treatment of disease. Further advancements in light sources will allow for even more precise
studies of the molecule without the need for crystallization of the protein [5].
Technologies in the field of particle physics can also be translated into computing and the
advancement of the ability of computers. Unbeknownst to many users of the World Wide Web,
the tool was actually developed by Tim Berners-Lee, who was a scientist at CERN, in order to
give particle physicists a way to communicate quickly from laboratories around the world. That
tool has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon which is used by almost all computers in
communication with others. There have been few, if any, more important advancements in
technology that the World Wide Web, which has forever influenced the world of global economy
and social interactions [8].
Particle physics experiments conducted at laboratories generate immense amounts of data
which require a fast system to organize and process all of that information quickly. This was
experienced firsthand in my mentorship experience, where me and my partner were required to
use Microsoft Excel to analyze data and determine which particle was detected in that particular
experiment. Even though this was a small level experiment used just to test detectors, there was
still over 13000 lines of data in the spreadsheet. To process the large amount of data produced by
these experiments, particle physicists developed The Grid, a large network of computers used as
servers housed in one location, used as a computation farm. The Grid allows these scientists to
process enormous amounts of data in a short amount of time, and this process has rubbed off on
other companies, such as IBM, where the company has thousands of these servers to process the
almost insurmountable amount of data that these corporations deal with every day [8].
The advancements that can be credited to the field of particle physics is almost
unbelievable, and that list will certainly increase in size in the future. The advancements have

ranged from advancements in cancer research and treatment to ensuring our safety using nuclear
power, and even to the development of the Internet and the formation of The Grid. Similar to
NASA, currently funding for these programs which have provided us with so many helpful
advancements is on the decline. At CERN, the budget from 2005 to 2014 has decreased from
1340.13 million Swiss Francs (CHF) to 1108.5 million CHF [9]. That is equivalent to a decrease
in about $256.2 Million. Funding for these programs should increase because of the increasing
amount of technologies and advancements these programs are providing us with.

References
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<http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodymr>.
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Therapy? U.S. Department of Energy. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.
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