Over 200 physicists and engineers from Asia, Europe and the Americas, including 21 people from SLAC, met at the KEK High Energy Physics Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan, to explore rapid development of a conceptual design of the International Linear Collider (ILC).

Two hundred and thirty linear collider specialists meet at KEK in Japan. (Photo by Neil Calder)

Originally conceived as a meeting for some 30 people, the organizers were overwhelmed with requests to participate. The enthusiasm for this new project was clear throughout the meeting.

"KEK has been delighted to host this important workshop," KEK’s Director General Yoji Totsuka said. "For the first time the world’s linear collider community is working together to start discussions on a final design for the ILC. We have provided opportunities for accelerator experts from various regions, who may have previously been working on different projects, to get to know each other and start the important process of creating a unified team."

"Last August, the international particle physics community made a difficult but necessary decision in choosing superconducting-technology for the accelerating system of the ILC. Cornell University’s Maury Tigner, chair of the International Linear Collider Steering Committee, said, "The decision opened the way for the world particle physics community to unite and concentrate our combined resources behind one technology. There is a long way to go and much hard work needed before the final design of the ILC is established. However, the first steps on a journey can sometimes be the hardest. The success of the KEK ILC workshop has set us off in the right direction."

Working groups at the meeting focused on many aspects of the future design of the accelerator including; the parameters of the main linacs, the injector system, the beam delivery system, the design of the high gradient radio-frequency cavities and how to effectively communicate both within the ILC community and to the public. SLAC was represented in all working groups.

"It has been a very stimulating meeting," said Tor Raubenheimer, head of the SLAC’s Linear Collider Department. "Since the technology decision is made, people will no longer be working with opposite goals or different goals. We’ll be working towards a common goal and that makes it very exciting."