- April 29, 2026, 3:30 pm US/Central
Speaker: Director, Norbert Holtkamp
3:30 1 West
2027 marks the 100th anniversary of the invention of the first high-frequency linear accelerator (LINAC), built in Aachen. In 1927, Rolf Widerøe’s 27-page doctoral thesis opened new windows for science with his description of the LINAC and of a circular accelerator he had already invented in 1923 at the age of 21.
The lecture begins by exploring the fascinating but tragic life of a man and his family driven by science and progress. During World War II, Dr. Widerøe was faced with a moral dilemma that is still relevant for many scientists today and may be even more pressing now. It also determined much of his fate. As we follow Rolf Widerøe through the arc of the 20th century, the full breadth of accelerator applications up to the present day comes into view. For more than a century, technical facilities that accelerate subatomic particles to ever higher energies have been an integral part of science and research, as well as of medical and industrial applications. The most modern applications repeatedly allow quantum leaps in science, which are discussed towards the end of the lecture.