Accelerators are fast becoming important tools of investigation in a broad spectrum of areas in the basic and applied sciences. They are used in particle physics, X-ray lasers, materials science, nanotechnology, non-destructive testing, radiation therapy, etc., in addition to security applications. More recently, Accelerator Driven Systems have become important around the world for passive safety in third-generation nuclear reactors, and for burn-up of nuclear waste, especially minor actinides. In India, there is a special importance to ADS for breeding Thorium into U233, and DAE has launched a major programme in this direction.

In this context, the proposed symposium will bring together senior leaders in the field of accelerators, both from India and Internationally, and the discussions will help in crystallizing future directions for the Indian accelerator programme. This is of particular importance in fine-tuning the proposals for the XIIth Five Year Plan, and in looking for international collaborations in some of the proposed areas of R&D.

There will be technical sessions on the following topics:

synchrotron radiation sources

free electron lasers

neutrino factory/muon colliders

ultrafast femto-and atto-second sources

superconductivity/RF

laser palsma interactions etc..

INO etc..

In addition, there will be two panel discussions on the status and fututre prospects of accelerator Physics in India.

Panel Discussions:

Panel 1 (Future of Accelerators in India)

Chaired by Srikumar Banerjee;
Members: R. K. Bhandari (VECC), K. Chattopadhyay (IISc), PD Gupta (RRCAT),
S. Kailas (BARC), RG Pillay(TIFR), V. S. Ramamurthy (NIAS), Amit Roy (IUAC)

Panel 2 (Future Light Sources)

Chaired by Swapan Chattopadhyay (Cockcroft);
Members: Alok Chakraborty (VECC), S. Krishnagopal (BARC), Pitamber Singh(BARC),
DD Sarma (IISc), Gurnam Singh (RRCAT, Indore)

The symposium will be inaugrated by Dr. Srikumar Banerjee, Secretary, DAE and Chairman, AEC .