One conference to bring them all
The community of experts in the fields of accelerator and large experimental physics control systems has grown effectively from the early 1930′s. Since 1989, the ICALEPCS biennial conference series highly contributes to support the community.
Since the first accelerators were built in the 1930′s, new discoveries and observations have been made in many fields of physics. These led to new questions and bigger and more efficient apparatus were needed. Since then, large experimental devices have been built and run worldwide.
Accelerators and large experiments require specific technical knowledge that has been developed over the years, with the development of an international community of experts. However, until 1983, no specific event brought together accelerator physicists.
Following 2 precursor events in Berlin, Germany, and Brookhaven, USA, Peter Clout organised a workshop in Los Alamos, USA, in 1985. It was the first event devoted exclusively to accelerator control systems. 130 participants presented 50 papers eventually published in Nuclear Instruments and Methods.
Soon, partners from Asia and Europe, represented by Shin‐Ichi Kurokawa and Axel Daneels respectively, joined forces and organised the International Conference on Accelerator and Large Experimental Physics Control Systems [ICALEPCS]. The first conference entitled ICALEPCS was held in Vancouver, Canada in 1989. The 14th conference of the ICALEPCS series was held in 2013.
Over the years the community has gained in force and coordination. In 1986, encouraged by Axel Daneels, the group on Experimental Physics Control Systems [EPCS] of the European Physical Society [EPS] was created with the purpose, amongst others, to participate in the organisation of the ICALEPS conferences.
During ICALEP 2013, the work of the founders the conference series was recognised. A Lifetime Achievement Award was given by the International Scientific Advisory Committee of ICALEPS to Peter Clout, Axel Daneels, Shin‐Ichi Kurokawa, Dave Gurd, Daniele Bulfone and Ryotaro Tanaka for their contribution to the initiation, growth, reinforcement and management of the ICALEPCS series of conferences.
Shin-Ichi Kurokawa, during the award ceremony and on behalf of the awardees said: “The discussion on the creation of ICALEPCS began at the workshop held in Los Alamos in 1985. [...] On my way back to Japan from the Los Alamos workshop I stopped at SLAC, where I met a group of Chinese researchers [...] who were working very hard to build the IHEP BEPC control system. This was my first encounter with Chinese control people and it triggered us to start a collaboration between China and Japan. Without this collaboration, the idea of rotating the venue among [Europe, Asia and America] would not work. I would like to state that ICALEPCS has become a truly international conference.”
