KOZHIKODE: Calicut University will be soon equipped with the state’s first centre for acceleration based research, boosting the possibilities of internationally competitive research within the university system. The acceleration centre (radiation lab) is planning to function as a regional facility to meet the research requirements of other universities in the state too including Central University and those from nearby states.
The centre, which will have sophisticated accelerator systems and experimental facilities, is expected to cater to the needs of researchers in the areas of nuclear physics, materials science, atomic physics, radiation biology, radiation physics and accelerator mass spectrometry. Though the university had an accelerator given by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) three decades back, due to various issues, it was not functioning and later condemned.
The revival of the acceleration centre is part of the university’s plan to revive existing facilities which do not work at present. “What we had earlier was a 1960 model accelerator which cannot use for present-day research. So we are looking for the latest technology accelerator which we can use for next thirty years or so,” said Dr Mohammed Musthafa M., physics department head who is in charge of the project.
The university is planning to establish it in two phases. During the first stage, electron accelerators that can produce high energy electrons, as well as protons, will be installed and in coming years, a proton accelerator will come up at a cost nearly '30 crore.
“In South India, we don’t have a university facility like this and it would make us one of the top institutions for research,” he said. “The centre will bring a huge impact on the research ambience and a large number of researchers can come here and do their research instead of travelling to centres at distant places,” said vice-chancellor Dr K. Mohammed Basheer.
