November 6, 2009
On Saturday, October 31, 2009 more than 120 science enthusiasts of all ages toured IUCF and the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute (MPRI) as part of the activities offered at the annual Indiana University Physics and Astronomy Open House. Middle and high school students, teachers and families from across the state of Indiana attended lectures, and enjoyed "hands-on" science in Swain West throughout the morning, and scheduled tours of IUCF and MPRI were offered for adults and students over the age of 13.
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| Dr. Ed Stephenson gives an overview of IUCF’s projects to the Open House tour groups. |
Dr. Ed Stephenson welcomed each tour group to IUCF and gave a brief presentation on the current projects under way at the facility. The tour groups, led by IUCF student and staff volunteers, started their tours at the Main Control Room, the "heart" of the facility where all of the accelerators and electrical systems are monitored 24/7, and then toured the Low Energy Neutron Source (LENS) area and the Radiation Effects Research Program (RERP) rooms. The groups also toured the Main Stage Accelerator vault to see the cyclotron – the huge magnets which accelerate hydrogen atoms to just under the speed of light to generate the protons used in many of the research programs. The final stop on the tour was the Midwest Proton Radiation Institute, which provides proton radiotherapy for cancer treatments. Completed in 2007, MPRI has three treatment rooms, including two massive gantries that can rotate 360° around a patient to deliver proton radiotherapy with pin-point precision from any angle.
Pre-arranged tours of IUCF are available for individuals and groups. Contact IUCF at (812) 855-9365 for details.
