Contact: Oliver Hemmers, UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154,

Oliver.Hemmers@unlv.edu, 702-895-3742

UNLV Accelerated: High-Energy X-Ray Applications (HEXA) In 2009 the Department of Energy published a report, Accelerators for America’s Future that made the following statement “21st-century challenges—and seizing the opportunities they bring—will determine the shape of America’s future. The science and technology of particle accelerators can contribute to our success. Today, besides their role in scientific discovery, particle beams from some 30,000 accelerators are at work worldwide in areas ranging from diagnosing and treating disease to powering industrial processes.” The report was distilled from a broad spectrum of experts in the field of particle accelerators and also highlighted the cooperation needed from universities, national laboratories, the public, and other government agencies in order to make it a success for all. UNLV and HEXA for a Brighter Southern Nevada Future

The UNLV HEXA program is being developed as a university wide asset to educate future generations of accelerator operators, designers, engineers and scientists. The program will be used for research collaborations, public-private partnerships, and economic development in the areas of security, energy & materials, environment and health. The HEXA program is one of UNLV’s major stepping stones as it progresses towards becoming a tier 1 research university. Along with

conducting wide ranging and potentially world changing research, HEXA will stimulate new economic activity in Southern Nevada by providing the trained workforce needed to power the local high-tech industries. These companies and agencies include Varian, Nevada National Security Sight (NNSS), as well as medical diagnostic and treatment industries among many others. History of HEXA’s Public-Private Partnership The UNLV-Varian research relationship started in 2006 as the ‘Mega-Voltage Cargo Imaging’ project but it was not until 2010 that plans were developed for a UNLV campus facility. At that time discussions included the study and production of radiopharmaceuticals for medical applications. This was based on the growing needs of the nation since there is the potential for isotope shortages. After 18 months of planning, UNLV allocated about $1.5 M in early 2012 for the reconstruction of an existing 2,000 sqft facility in order to house the K9

Contact: Oliver Hemmers, UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154,

Oliver.Hemmers@unlv.edu, 702-895-3742

Linatron accelerator. Since then Varian donated two used M6 Linatron accelerators to UNLV. In spring of 2014 the reconstruction of the facility was complete and the first M6 Linatron was in the process of being installed. Furthermore, Varian will provide a new K15 Linatron to UNLV by the end of 2014 as part of a continued public-private partnership. Varian as a strong industry partner to UNLV will support mutual research and technology development efforts, including the production of radiopharmaceuticals. In return UNLV will assist with education and workforce development that will allow Varian to hire locally trained engineers and technicians. Southern Nevada Research and Economic Development Applications The potential areas for research involving the UNLV Accelerator Program can reach into many areas depending on interests, funding and needs. Other areas will evolve over time but there is one research opportunity that can clearly make a difference for UNLV and the region. This research is related to the investigation, production and separation of radiopharmaceuticals, which ties in nicely with the existing UNLV nuclear and materials programs and the efforts to establish a UNLV medical school. This initiative alone is potentially powerful enough to drive and help fund the establishment of a Southern Nevada medical school due to the rapidly growing demand for radiopharmaceuticals in diagnostics and imaging, as well as accelerator based medical treatments. Of course, this cannot be accomplished without the powerful partnerships to industry, as well as the nearby NNSS, NSTec and others. This unique combination of opportunities provides powerful allies to make this initiative a success. An incomplete list of potential research and education areas could include:

Radiopharmaceutical research and production National security applications including cargo imaging, weapon destruction research

and subcritical experiments Transmutation research to render nuclear materials harmless Materials research/nondestructive material testing and radiation hardening Modeling for Radiation Effects and Doses Code Validation, discovery of pure science for its own sake Fuel Cycle Research, water and air purification, exploit bioenergy, hydrogen storage User Center for Universities, National Laboratories and Private Sector Academic Programs - Accelerator Design, Operation and Research and Nuclear

Engineering UNLV is a doctoral-degree-granting institution with a commitment to the support of research and innovative scholarly pursuits. Classified in the category of Research Universities (high research activity) by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, UNLV seeks to create a campus environment that promotes the performance of superior research and scholarly endeavors at all levels of study. UNLV faculty are eager to involve graduate students in their research, and many opportunities to participate are available.