Accelerator R&D covers many domains, from the concepts of acceleration themselves to the study and realization of sub-elements, with a large effort put on the two basic elements of any accelerator, the accelerating radio-frequency cavities, and the bending magnets. The main goals are to increase the intensity and/or the energy of the particule beams.

Non limitating list of accelerator R&D

• Innovative acceleration concepts
  • Laser plasma, and electron laser accelerations, enabling ultra high accelerating field

• Beam phase space optimization
  • development of beam sources, and injectors
  • beam cooling techniques
  • development of RFQ (Radio Frequency Quadrupole), with both an accelerating and focusing effect
  • development of crab cavities

• Beam control and beam loss reduction
  • advanced beam diagnostics and analysis methods

• High field magnets
  • both high field dipoles (for energy increase) and high field quadrupoles (final focus systems)

• Superconducting radio frequency technologies
  • allowing continuous wave operation, limiting the accelerator length and its operation cost

• High gradient normal conducting radio frequency structures
  • operated in pulsed modes, but capable of producing very high accelerating fields

• High power radio frequency and pulsed power generators
  • necessary to power the cavities described above

The programs CARE and EuCARD, partly financed through the funding of the 6^th and 7^th Framework Programmes of the European Community are examples of coordinated accelerator R&D programs..See FP6-FP7 accelerator R&D projects.