Date Time Cheaper, greener particle accelerators will speed innovation A team of scientists at the Center for Bright Beams (CBB) – a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center led by Cornell – are working on the next generation of superconducting materials that will greatly reduce the costs associated with operating large particle accelerators and lessen their environmental impact. The research could also make it easier for smaller institutions and industry to use these critical tools. Provided Niobium-3-tin has now become the first-ever usable alternative to Niobium for SRF cavities. Particle accelerators play a vital role in the fight against climate change as they help strengthen new technologies such as lithium-ion storage capabilities and solar panels. However, the amount of energy required to operate some of these large machines is enormous, not only adding to the carbon footprint they seek to reduce, but limiting their accessibility.