Source: HINDU 

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Context

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has started a special programme called Pravriddhi. It aims to bring together businesses, universities, research labs and investors to create innovative products and help India become more self-reliant.

About IISc

IISc is a public, deemed, research university for higher education and research in science, engineering, design, and management. It is located in Bengaluru.

The institute was established in 1909 with active support from Jamsetji Tata and thus is also locally known as the Tata Institute. It was granted a deemed university status in 1958 and recognized as an Institute of Eminence in 2018.

What is Pravriddhi?

Pravriddhi is a pan-India programme launched by the Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID) at IISc. It creates a platform where different groups can work together to develop new ideas and products.

Why is it Important?

The programme supports India’s vision called Viksit Bharat 2047 which hopes to make India’s economy worth $30 trillion by 2047. A big part of this growth (25%) will come from manufacturing. Pravriddhi helps by focusing on:

Designing market-ready products.

Strengthening India’s ability to innovate.

Competing globally in product manufacturing.

Pravriddhi provides:

1. Top-class laboratories and R&D support.
2. A strong network of experts across India.
3. Special centers nationwide to support industries and promote economic growth.

About Particle Accelerators

Particle accelerators are advanced machines that use electromagnetic fields to speed up charged particles such as electrons or protons and direct them at high speeds. These devices are used for scientific research, medical applications, industrial purposes and energy studies.

Key Principles:

Only particles like electrons, protons or ions can be accelerated since they respond to electric fields.

Electric and magnetic fields are used to increase the speed and direct the path of particles.

Particles gain energy as they accelerate allowing scientists to study their properties and interactions.

Types of Particle Accelerators:

Linear Accelerators (Linacs)

Particles move in a straight line.

Example: LINAC at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, USA.

Circular Accelerators

Particles travel in a circular path gaining energy with each turn.

Types:

• Cyclotron: Uses a constant magnetic field and alternating electric fields.
• Synchrotron: Adjusts magnetic fields to keep particles on a stable path.

Example: Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.

Components of a Particle Accelerator:

Source: Produces the charged particles (e.g., ion sources, electron guns).

Accelerating Structures: Apply electric fields to increase particle speed.

Magnets:

• Dipole Magnets: Bend particle paths.
• Quadrupole Magnets: Focus the particle beam.

Beamlines: Channels guiding accelerated particles.

Detectors: Capture and analyze interactions of particles with targets.

Applications

Scientific Research

Study of fundamental particles and forces (e.g., Higgs boson discovery at CERN).

Insights into the origins of the universe.

Medical Uses

Proton therapy for targeting tumors.

Producing isotopes for PET scans.

Industry and Technology

Analyzing structural properties of materials.

Ion implantation for microchips.

Energy Research

Study of nuclear fusion and advanced energy technologies.

Advantages

Enables groundbreaking discoveries in physics and medicine.

Advances technology and innovation.

Provides valuable tools for industrial applications.

Challenges

Building and operating particle accelerators is expensive.

Requires advanced engineering and technical expertise.

Large accelerators consume significant amounts of power.

Sources:

HINDU