AFOSR + NSF Scientific Opportunities with Compact, High Intensity Accelerators

Feb 24, 2026, 8:00 AM → Feb 26, 2026, 5:00 PM America/New_York

AFOSR BRICC Facility

This workshop will explore emerging compact, conventional particle accelerator technology that will enable new science opportunities at AFOSR and NSF. These opportunities include novel probes for materials research and new platforms to study high-energy radiation-mattter systems. This workshop also explores synergistic areas that can use similar accelerator technology, including medical applications, and significant accelerator efforts in DOE and abroad.

This workshop is hosted at the Air Force BRICC facility. To request an invitation, please email Jared Maxson (maxson@cornell.edu) or Emilio Nanni (nanni@slac.stanford.edu). Our host is Dr. Joel Bixler, program officer for the AFOSR High-Energy Radiation-Matter Systems (HERMES) program, plasma@us.af.mil.

A bit about our venue: the BRICC

The BRICC is located at 4100 N Fairfax Drive, Suite 450, Arlington, VA  22203, with parking available at the facility for a fee. While the lobby is open prior to 8 am, the elevators are disabled until this time. Take the elevator to the 4^th floor. Immediately outside of the elevators is a reception desk where you can register or check in for the event. There should be BRICC staff present to help direct attendees to the meeting room.

Tuesday, February 24

8:00 AM → 8:30 AM Badging and Setup

8:30 AM → 9:35 AM Introduction: Welcome to the workshop

Introductory talks that define the scope of the workshop.

8:30 AM Introduction and Welcome

Speakers: Jared Maxson, Nigel Lockyer (Cornell University)

Intro-MaxsonLockyer.pptx

8:40 AM Welcome and Perspective from AFRL Materials

Speaker: Hilmar Koerner (AFRL)

AFRL Perspective.pdf

8:55 AM Welcome and Perspective from NSF Materials

Speaker: Charles Ying (NSF)

9:10 AM Welcome and Introduction to the AFOSR HERMES program

Speaker: Joel Bixler (AFOSR)

NSF Accelerator_24Feb.pdf

9:35 AM → 9:45 AM Break

9:45 AM → 11:25 AM Linear Accelerators: New Paradigms

9:45 AM New paradigms in compact linear accelerators

Speaker: Sami Tantawi (Arizona State University)

10:10 AM New Applications Enabled by High Gradient RF accelerators

Speaker: Emilio Nanni (SLAC)

AFOSR_NSF Nanni Final.pptx

10:35 AM From Limits to Breakthroughs: Short-Pulse RF Acceleration at GV/m level gradient

Speaker: Chunguang Jing (Euclid Techlabs)

Short RF pulse_NCRF_AFOSR-NSF-meeting_02242026 (1) (1).pptx

11:00 AM State of the Art Performance and Applications of Plasma Accelerators

Speaker: Samuel Barber (LBNL)

AFOSR+NSF workshop_barber.pptx

11:25 AM → 1:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM → 2:15 PM Materials research with accelerators: X-ray 1

1:00 PM LCLS Research, Quantum Materials, And International Context

Speaker: Mengning Liang (SLAC)

AFOSR_2026_compressed.pdf

1:25 PM X-ray science at Arizona State University CXLS and CXFEL

Speaker: Arvinder Sandhu (Arizona State University)

Sandhu CXFEL 2026.pdf

1:50 PM MeV Ultrafast electron diffraction materials research in US and Globally

Speaker: Pietro Musumeci (UCLA)

2:15 PM → 2:30 PM Break

2:30 PM → 3:45 PM Materials research with accelerators: X-ray 2

2:30 PM Introduction to the Materials Solutions Network at CHESS

Speaker: Arthur Woll (Cornell University)

woll-afosr_nsf_accelerator_wkshp-2026-v2.pptx

2:55 PM Synchrotron radiation for critical studies of composites and thin films in aerospace and space applications

Speaker: Hilmar Koerner (AFRL)

3:20 PM Synchrotron X-ray Evaluation of Residual Stress

Speaker: Paul Shade (AFRL)

3:45 PM → 3:55 PM Break

3:55 PM → 4:25 PM Discussion: First Day

Wednesday, February 25

8:30 AM → 10:10 AM Upgrading Storage Rings: 1

8:30 AM A plasma-accelerator storage ring injector

Speaker: Andreas Maier (DESY)

8:55 AM The COLD project: upgrading the ESRF storage ring injector with C3 cavities

Speaker: Simone Luizzo (ESRF)

Liuzzo_AFOSR_NSF_25Feb2026_6GeVLinac_COLD_V0_nobkp.pdf

9:20 AM Upgrades plans for the LEA at Argonne

Speaker: Alireza Nassiri (ANL)

Nassiri_ANL_LEA_AFOSR (1).pdf

9:45 AM Cornell high gradient linac testing and CHESS/CESR upgrade opportunities

Speaker: Jared Maxson

NSF-AFOSR-Workshop-MaxsonAndorf.pptx

10:10 AM → 10:20 AM Break

10:20 AM → 11:45 AM Directed Energy Applications: 1

10:20 AM Accelerator and RF source technology for drilling and sensing applications

Speaker: Emma Snively (SLAC)

10:45 AM Rapid Density-Modulated Electron Beam Sources for Next-Generation X-ray Communications

Speaker: Brandon Cortez (U. Wisconsin)

AFOSR-NSF_TWT-XCOM.pptx

11:10 AM DE Discussion

Speaker: John Luginsland (AFRL)

11:45 AM → 1:15 PM Lunch

1:15 PM → 3:00 PM Crossover Topics: 1

1:15 PM Quantum Materials: Structural Insights as the Key to Future Technologies [From X-ray Materials Research With Accelerators Session]

Speaker: Suchismita Sarker (Cornell University)

1:40 PM The ultra-compact XFEL: a new paradigm for science and translational applications

Speaker: James Rosenzweig (UCLA)

2:05 PM From Classical (facility) to Wavefunction-level (ultracompact) High-precision e-beam Control for Advanced Light Sources

Speaker: Sergio Carbajo (UCLA & SLAC)

2:30 PM Ultrafast X-ray Modulation with Quantum Materials

Speaker: Ankit Disa (Cornell University)

3:00 PM → 3:10 PM Break

3:10 PM → 4:30 PM High Energy Density Applications

3:10 PM Exploring extreme matter: accelerators required

Speaker: Rip Collins

NSF.AFOSR.2.24.26.vfinal.pdf

3:35 PM LANSCE Enhancements (LANE) Overview

Speaker: Shea Mosby (LANL)

4:00 PM Development of C-band high gradient accelerator structures and LANL and potential applications

Speaker: Evgenya Simakov (LANL)

AFOSR Simakov.pptx

Thursday, February 26

9:00 AM → 10:40 AM Health Applications: 1

9:00 AM Medium energy electron accelerator facilities in Europe supporting R&D for VHEE/FLASH radiotherapy

Speaker: Deepa Angal-Kalinin (Daresbury Laboratory)

AFSOR_February26 (1).pdf

9:20 AM Medical Studies at the CLEAR Accelerator Facility

Speaker: Antonio Gilardi (CERN)

9:40 AM Accelerator Design for novel cancer therapy efforts

Speaker: Phia Morton (SLAC)

Accelerator Design for Novel Cancer Therapy Efforts.pdf

10:05 AM Accelerator–Based Cancer Therapy Efforts at Duke

Speaker: Mark Oldham (Duke University)

10:40 AM → 11:00 AM Break

11:00 AM → 12:05 PM Discussion: Discussion and Closeout