How Star Wars Fantasy is Shaping Science Fact
By Carsten WelschINSTITUTE OF PHYSICS PAB GROUP NEWSLETTER – December 2019 | Proton torpedoes, hyperspace, and the Force — is this science fact or science fiction? Building upon the great success of previous events, hundreds of local high school students, university students and staff came to the University of Liverpool on 20 November 2019 to learn how the world of Star Wars is connected with ongoing accelerator research at the Cockcroft Institute (CI).
The Physics of Star Wars event took place in the award-winning Central Teaching Laboratory, which was turned into a teaching space from a galaxy far, far away. An engaging lecture by event organizer Prof. Carsten Welsch, Head of Liverpool’s physics department, introduced all participants to the world of Star Wars, whilst a range of Star Wars themed, hands-on experiments prepared by CI staff and students gave opportunities to experience accelerator science up-close.
Lord Vader inspecting the VELO detector at the CI.
(Credit: Cockcroft Institute)Proton Torpedoes
In the very first Star Wars movie, Luke Skywalker uses proton torpedoes to destroy the Death Star — the giant space station that annihilates planets. More than 40 years on, science fact has caught up with science fiction. Accelerator and clinical experts have been exploring ways to better control proton beams to improve cancer treatment. These beams can be used to destroy a tumour hidden deep inside the body. CI research targets the use of monitors, originally developed for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, to characterise the treatment beam without touching it.
